Romance Americana
by Traviosita9124
Summary: Harry and Hermione hook up. Draco starts to date Ginny. And 40 Americans come to Hogwarts, from and elite school. What exactly are they up to? And is the actress truly in love with Ron, or is her best friend better for him? Read on to find out. RR
1. Redheads Move Fast

September 1, Platform 9 ¾  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Harry Potter turned in time to have Hermione fly into his arms. He loved her; but that was to be kept secret. He would nave told her, had it not been for Krum, and Ron as well. His best and first friend had had a crush on Hermione since Krum had dated her. With a kiss on her cheek, they began chatting.  
  
"Hullo, Hermione. Have you seen Ron yet?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen him since our last term ended. My family and I went back to France this summer; I didn't get the chance to stay at the Burrow. What about you?"  
  
"I didn't visit the Weasleys over the summer either; did you hear about Mr. Weasley's promotion?"  
  
"Yes. No one deserves a promotion like that then Ron's dad. It's about time the wizarding world woke up and kicked Fudge's arse out of office. We need strong leaders at a time like this."  
  
The silence lasted for a few minutes while they contemplated the situation. True, Voldemort was back. But that didn't mean hope was dead. Harry knew that he would fight to the death to keep everyone he loved safe; Hermione above all. He didn't matter, no one else did unless his 'Mione was there.  
  
"Enough with the sadness. Let me see you Head Girl badge."  
  
"Only if you show me the Head Boy badge," she playfully replied with a grin. "Malfoy's pissed about that. I heard him bitching about five minutes ago." She cleared her throat and proceeded to do a perfect imitation of Draco Malfoy. "How the bloody hell did POTTER get Head Boy? All because of a fucking scar! I bet he had to buy his way in."  
  
"Did he really say that, Hermione?"  
  
She returned to her normal voice. "Yes, he did. So, seeing as how we're Head Boy and Girl, we both know about the Americans coming to Hogwarts."  
  
"Ah, yes, the exchange students from The Americana School of Sorcery; where is it exactly?"  
  
"Chicago, Illinois, the third largest American city, on Lake Michigan, and almost in the middle of the country."  
  
She would have gone on had Harry not stopped her.  
  
"Been studying up on American geography, are we. What else do you know about them?"  
  
"Well, the students are from all over the country. Americana is the largest wizarding school in the world. It's hidden under the streets of Chicago, with entrances all over the city. The school has as many students as three Ivy League schools put together, with a teaching staff to match. They start their education when they come out of what they call the eighth grade. But they go for eight years, not seven, and they have more classes in one day than we do. That's because it's run like an American public secondary school. They have 45 minute classes, split up into eight periods. They have core classes like, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Astrology. All of them branch off into subcategories as the students get older, and the classes meet everyday! Not to mention, the school requires all students to become fluent in a foreign language; they can chose from Spanish, Italian, French, or German. Then they have extra classes, they call them electives, which they can take to get credits. It sounds so amazing!"  
  
Harry chuckled through Hermione's entire speech. It sounded just like Hermione to get so excited about learning. "So, did you want to go to Americana?"  
  
"Yes, but I wouldn't be allowed to, at least not until graduation from Hogwarts. Americana only allows foreign students in after they graduate from their own schools. It's an honor to be accepted into the collegiate portion of the school. Very few who haven't gone there get in. I'm sending an application as soon as I can get my hands on an owl."  
  
"Hermione, that's wonderful, but I thought wizarding schools made themselves Unplotable to stay hidden. How do we know where Americana is?"  
  
"Well, as much as I love the degree of education there, the school and its students are known to be a bit. snobbish. They let people know where they are just to taunt them. Whenever someone has tried to break in, they meet security charms and wizards. The school wants to be found, just to embarrass other American wizarding schools that cannot manage to break in."  
  
"There are other schools?"  
  
"Yes, just not a prestigious as Americana. Very few are of the same caliber."  
  
The whistle on the Hogwarts express signaled the students to board the train. As they boarded, Harry noticed that an extra car had been added on to the train.  
  
"Hermione, how many students from Americana are coming?"  
  
"Twenty or so, all 17 or 18; in other words, our age."  
  
"Oh. Okay. Let's go get a compartment."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As Harry and Hermione headed towards their usually compartment, they heard a strange sound. Not strange, but out of place. It sounded as if someone was snogging in THEIR train compartment! Harry looked back at Hermione, wide-eyed and jaw hanging down.  
  
"Hermione," he whispered," stay behind me. I want to see who's in our compartment."  
  
She nodded and prepared to follow him through the door. Harry put his hand on the handle, singled to Hermione, and burst through the door. All they saw was a flurry of red hair, arms, and legs and the two people worked to disentangle themselves. Hermione gained control of her tongue before Harry did.  
  
"Ron! What the hell are you thinking?! Oh, wait, you WEREN'T THINKING! We have guests from America, which, by the way, you are not supposed to know about, and you give a wonderful impression by snogging on the train!"  
  
Harry, noticing the look on Ron's face, quickly put a hand over Hermione's mouth, silencing her and her tirade.  
  
"Hermione, I'm not going to take my hand off your mouth until you calm down, okay? Ron's a big boy; he can snog whenever he feels like it, okay? Nod if you understand me."  
  
She nodded her head, and Harry tried not to think about her lips pressed to his palm. Now was not the time. He slowly took his palm away, and stepped away from Hermione. She immediately missed his warmth, but forced the thought to the back of her mind. A strange girl suddenly stepped out from behind Ron. She was also a redhead, and was wearing a small, form fitting jean skirt and a green sweater that stretched over her breasts. Knee high boots and silver jewelry completed the ensemble. Harry's eyes narrowed as he took in her outfit.  
  
"Who are you? What house are you in?"  
  
"House? What the hell are you talking about? Ron, what's going on here?"  
  
Ron grinned sheepishly at his best friends as they took in the girl. and her accent. Both of them had realized she was an American as soon as she opened her mouth.  
  
"So you're an Americana student?" Ron rolled his eyes at Harry's question.  
  
"Yes, I am. Can we sit? Or is this an English thing?"  
  
There were laughs all around, and the four of them sat.  
  
"So, tell us about your self."  
  
"Well, my name's Kate Morgan, and as you guessed, I'm a student of The Americana School of Sorcery. How about giving me your names?"  
  
"I'm Hermione."  
  
"Harry. Please, continue."  
  
"I'm from the Midwest, Chicago to be exact."  
  
"Tell them the other stuff."  
  
"Like what, Ron?"  
  
"Like how you make your money."  
  
"Oh, that. I'm an actress."  
  
Hermione's interest was peaked. "What kind of acting?"  
  
"I'm a Hollywood actress."  
  
"What have you been in?"  
  
"Hmm, let's see. The Gold of Malthus, Lagoon, This Side of Paradise, The Morning After You, and Love Hate Relationship. Those are probably my biggest movies."  
  
"You act in MUGGLE movies? How can you manage going to a wizard's school, but film muggle movies? How can you keep you secret?"  
  
"Honey, let me let you in on a little secret. Hollywood's filled with nothing but wizards and witches. We have a fucking (pardon my French) monopoly on the business. Only about 3.5% of all American celebrities are muggle. The rest are exactly like you and me. And only the worst actors are muggle. They never win any Oscars; maybe once in a rare while do we get a good muggle actor, but it's extremely rare."  
  
"You're telling me that 96.5% of actors are wizards or witches?"  
  
"Not just actors, but every kind of celebrity. Not to mention, even if someone accused a celebrity of being a witch or wizard, we can just conveniently convert to the Wiccan religion, or pay them for their silence. You have to love the American people and their love for money!"  
  
Kate started to laugh. Hermione sat back. It looked like she had finally met her match when it came to logic. 


	2. And the Sorting Hat Please

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Great Hall was decorated splendidly in all the Houses' colors. As Harry, Hermione, and Ron took their seats, they noticed Kate missing.  
  
"Hermione, where the bloody hell are the American students?"  
  
"Ron, relax. They need to be introduced to the school formally. Then, when the Feast is done, you can go snog Kate. Just give it a minute, okay."  
  
Ron's ears turned red as he mumbled, "Fine," and turned his attention to the doors leading into the dinning hall. Harry could practically feel the anxiety coming off his best friend in waves. He was about to mention it to him when the doors burst open. Professor McGonagall was leading the new first years and the Americana students.  
  
Harry leaned over to whisper in Hermione's ear, catching a whiff of her perfume; he almost swooned then and there. When he had recovered, he asked, "Hermione, are they going to be sorted?"  
  
"I'd assume so. How else are we to decide were they sleep?"  
  
Harry nodded and backed up from Hermione. It did make sense. The only bedrooms available to students were in the house dorms.  
  
McGonagall was now waiting for something; what she was waiting for became apparent when Dumbledore stood up to speak.  
  
"Hello again, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As you can see, we not only have new first years, but exchange students as well. Our visitors are from The Americana School of Sorcery. They will be sorted along with the first years, and then, after the sorting, I will explain about this year's Qudditch season."  
  
Professor McGonagall got up and began with the new first years. As soon as the newbies were finished, the Americans were sorted. Hermione, for once in her life, had been wrong. There were 40 Americana students, not 20; of the 40, ten were to be sorted into each house. Lucky for Ron, Kate was put into Gryffindor. When she sat down, she "accidentally" missed her chair and wound up in Ron's lap. The result was a rather dirty look from the teachers; they didn't approve of anything even slightly sexual with in the halls of Hogwarts. The problem was, Kate didn't seem to care.  
  
Shortly after Ron's newest snog partner sat down, McGonagall called out, "Quinnlin, Shannon." A tall girl with wavy brown hair was now the newest addition to the Gryffindor House. Her twin brother (Quinnlin, Matthew) went to Ravenclaw.  
  
"Damnit. How many twins do we have to loose to the bloody Ravenclaws?!" (This was Seamus; he had been upset about the loss of Padma Patil ever since he realized the beauty only males saw in female twins. When Hermione had called him perverted, and Parvati had slapped him a few times, he quickly covered his tracks by spreading his anger from strictly female twins, to twins in general.)  
  
"He's brainier than most. Quinn's smart, but not that smart."  
  
Kate's friends stuck her tongue out in a rather undignified manner, causing the pair to burst into a fit of giggles. Shannon (Kate had a habit of calling her Quinn) struggled to regain control before responding to the light tease.  
  
"You ain't one to talk, Ms. Morgan. You may have made it in Hollywood, but your Potions grade speaks for itself."  
  
"Bite me, Quinn. Come back and talk when you learn how to dance."  
  
"What the hell does dancing have to do with anything? Just because it gives you a chance to rub against my brother in a rather provocative way-"  
  
"That's enough on that subject. By the way, where did Nikola and Lauren end up?"  
  
"Nik went into Hufflepuff, Lauren to Slytherin."  
  
"Dani and Jarrod?"  
  
"Dani went to the Hufflepuff with Nik, and Jarrod joined Matt. Any others, or can I eat now?"  
  
"Just one. Where the hell is Benny?"  
  
"Ah yes, the illustrious Mr. Benjamin Spattz. Slytherin."  
  
"It'll be a good season then; the teams are evenly stacked."  
  
Harry was confused. What season. What were they talking about? "Um, what season?"  
  
Kate fixed his green eyes with her clear blue. "You'll see Harry; in fact, I do believe Dumbledore is about to make his announcement."  
  
Indeed he was. The Headmaster stood once more to speak. "And on to my second announcement for the evening. The Qudditch season will be slightly different this year. We will be having a "Battle of the Schools" so to speak. The American teams shall form their own teams, making a total of four American teams each. They will be the counter parts to our own school teams. The season will be played out a usual, with the Americana teams playing Americana teams, and Hogwarts teams playing Hogwarts teams. When a champion team from each school is decided, they will play each other for the final game. In order to make this work, the official start of the Hogwarts Qudditch season is tomorrow. See the bulletins in each of your house common rooms fro more information. Now, please, dig in."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The rest of the evening went by with out much incident. The Yanks were shown their rooms in the houses, and Harry and Hermione settled into their new rooms. It only got uncomfortable when Harry went into Hermione's room to talk to her.  
  
"Hey, 'Mione, you in here?" When he got no response, Harry moved further into the room. "I was just wondering when we were going to look over the-"  
  
Harry stopped in mid sentence. As he had walked in, Hermione had walked out of her bathroom (another perk of being the Head Boy / Girl). wearing only her bra and panties, and a robe that barely covered either.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry managed to get that out while turning one of the most brilliant shades of red Hermione had ever seen. "I didn't know you were getting ready for bed."  
  
Hermione just smiled in response to Harry's embarrassment. "Harry, it's okay. It's not like I haven't seen you in your boxers. What did you need to talk to me about?"  
  
"Hermione, I don't think now's the time. and when exactly did you see me in my boxers?"  
  
She let out a small nervous laugh. "At the Weasley's; you walked around in them all the time like you owned the place."  
  
Harry didn't remember any such event, but he let it slip. He could examine Hermione's reasons for lying about him and his boxers later.  
  
"'Mione, I still really don't think we should be talking with you in your underwear; what if someone decided to walk in? You know how sordid some people's minds are."  
  
"Fine." She walked over and locked her bedroom door. Instead of comforting him, the sound made him even more nervous. He was now in a locked room with Hermione; if only the circumstances were different. But no, he was now forced to be the responsible one. Maybe he should let it drop; let Hermione act all responsible.  
  
'What on earth would she do if I kissed her now?', Harry thought. Maybe I should just find out. As Hermione made her way back to him after locking the door, Harry stepped up to her.  
  
She must have noticed something in his eyes, his eyes that gave so much of what he was thinking away. "Harry, what's wrong?"  
  
His only response was to grab her around her waist, pull her close, and kiss her. He started slow at first, hoping not to scare her. When he felt her returning the kiss, he ran his tongue across her lower lip, seeking her permission and approval. She moaned into his mouth and Harry felt Hermione's tongue dart forward to taste him as well. Only when oxygen was necessary did they part.  
  
Leaning her forward against Harry's, Hermione inquired, "Harry, why did you do that?"  
  
"What, didn't you like it?"  
  
Hermione laughed at his insecurity. If he only knew what that kiss had done to her. There were ways to show him, of course, but all of them would make her seem like a slut.  
  
"No, Harry, I loved it. But you just made it so much harder to ask you to leave."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, Harry, right now, I want to do some things that I doubt my parents would be proud of my doing."  
  
"Oh. Hermione?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will you be my girlfriend?"  
  
"Yes, Harry. But you still have to leave."  
  
"Alright. Goodnight, Hermione." He dropped another quick kiss on her lips before leaving. His year had taken a definite up turn.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry lightly pulled the door to Hermione's room shut, so not to wake any other students in the dorms. He was their Head Boy; how would it look to have him coming out of the Head Girl's room with rumpled clothes, and her lipstick on his collar?  
  
Harry didn't have to ponder that question for very long; Ron and Kate caught him leaving Hermione.  
  
"Jesus, Potter. First day as Head Boy and you're already trying to boink the Head Girl? Where are your morals, man? You're supposed to at least wait until tomorrow night."  
  
"Shut it, Ron." With that, Harry headed to his own room across the hall. Ron called after him.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yes, Ron?"  
  
"It's about bloody time you two got together."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Down in the Slytherin Dungeons:  
  
"Hello, cousin."  
  
Lauren Malfoy turned around. She was a pretty girl, prettier than most of the girls in Slytherin. Her blonde hair and icy blue eyes were the same color of her cousin's. Lauren didn't hate Draco; just her Uncle Lucius. He was always bitching about her choice of friends, and at her parents for letting her go to Americana; if he only knew what Lauren had become a part of.  
  
"What do you want, Draco?"  
  
"I was just wondering why your mum and dad didn't tell us that you were coming to Hogwarts for the year. They normal don't wait for a chance to needle my father."  
  
"Watch what you say about my parents! And your father needs to be brought down to fall flat on his ass."  
  
"Not that I disagree with you, but still, it would have been nice to know you were coming."  
  
"Why? So you could pack away all of your whores? Don't look so shocked, Draco. You know that everyone in the Malfoy family has a sex drive that can kill. So, who is she anyway?"  
  
"Who's who?"  
  
"The Gryffindor girl you're laying. Or, that you want to lay."  
  
"I'm not sleeping with a Gryffindor! Bloody mudblood lovers, they are. Why would I want one of them?! Look at the girls here, in Slytherin. I can have my pick; and after that, I can move on to the Hufflepuffs or the Ravenclaws. I don't need a Gryffindor to shag!"  
  
"A bit defensive, are we?"  
  
Draco sighed. He now had a choice to make. He could keep denying it, or he could just tell her. The latter was probably wiser; Lauren was like a dog with a bone when it came to gossip.  
  
"Ginny. Virginia Weasley."  
  
"Ah.would his be from that same Weasley family that my dearest Uncle Lucius is always bitching about? Now what would daddy dearest say if little Draco was in love with a mortal enemy?"  
  
Lauren's voice had taken on a more serious note; she was no longer trying to bait him, just get the truth.  
  
"Do you really care?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You're too nice to be in Slytherin."  
  
"What ever you say. What's your plan to get the girl?"  
  
"Well, it goes something like this."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	3. Baseball And Work Ethics

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
One week of the new term had passed, and amazingly enough, the weather was still warm and relatively mild. The down side to this was that Harry found himself being very rudely awakened by sounds coming off the Quidditch pitch.  
  
"What the hell.?" He tumbled out of bed, roughly shoved his glasses on his face, and looked out his window. He couldn't tell, but he could swear that the Americana students were on the pitch. But, they weren't playing Quidditch. they were playing baseball.  
  
Harry immediately got dressed and ran down to see what was going on. It got there just in time to see Kate screaming at Benny. He followed the argument, but stayed out of the way; they both looked ready to kill.  
  
"What the hell do you mean that my run doesn't count? That's bullshit, Kate!"  
  
"The third out was made before you hit the plate! It simply doesn't count; get it out of your head that no one is as good as you."  
  
"I played league ball for."  
  
".Eight years, we all know. If you would shut up about how long you played baseball, we might get a goddamn game in every once in awhile!"  
  
"You know everything, don't you, Kate? Who the hell died and made you perfect? You may be the leader, but I'm the one busting my ass to follow through on all of your bullshit ord."  
  
Just then, Kate noticed Harry. She gave a purposeful glare to Benny, and then jerked her head in Harry's direction.  
  
"Fine, the run counts, happy? Let's just play. You wanna join us, Harry?" Kate said this as she grabbed Benny's arm to lead him back onto the make- shift field. He jerked his arm out of her hold, and glared at her again.  
  
"No, I'm NOT happy."  
  
Kate sighed, and put on a sad, please-for-the-love-of-God-give-me-what-I- want face, and looked up at him.  
  
"Please, Ben, can we please talk about this later? I'll call all of the Americana Quidditch captains together later and we'll all talk then. Okay?"  
  
"Fine. We talk later then. Let's go."  
  
"Sure, just let me talk to Harry. I think Dani needs to see you anyway."  
  
Benny made is way to Dani, gave her a kiss, and started to talk with her. Kate made her way to Harry.  
  
"Now, what can I do for you on this beautiful morning, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"You can explain to me why you felt it necessary to wake the Head Boy with a baseball game right outside his window."  
  
"Baseball's fun and its America's pastime. I think we're all a bit homesick already. But then again, something tells me that Snape's Potions class will do that to anybody."  
  
"And that's you wonderful reason for waking me up? If you can't come up with a better one, I may have to start taking points."  
  
"Okay, do you believe that it's good practice for my Beaters?"  
  
"Fine, that excuse will do. If Hermione wakes up and doesn't like it."  
  
"You can kiss it out of her mind?"  
  
Harry had the good grace to blush. "And what makes you think that I would be interested in snogging this baseball wake up out of Hermione's mind?"  
  
"Because, I was with Ron when he caught you coming out of her room, and the lipstick on your check told the rest."  
  
"Oh. Right. Hey, Kate, what was the argument with Benny about? I thought you two were close."  
  
"We are. He's like my big brother. And, he calls me on my bullshit. Everyone needs a friend like Benny."  
  
"But, still, why were you screaming at him."  
  
"Because I thought the run shouldn't count and he did."  
  
"No, I got that. I meant right after that part."  
  
Kate cleared her throat and look at her shoes as they walked along the edge of the pitch. Was is just Harry's imagination, or had the silence gotten strangely uncomfortable?  
  
"I can get pretty full of myself; I'm used to being the best and the brightest, the one who knows everything. Benny reminds me that I'm only mortal, if I wanna hear it or not. Sometimes I flip, other times I just take it. I usually get pissed when he scolds in public. Sorry, I'm rambling."  
  
"No, it's alright. Keep talking."  
  
"Okay. Just remember, you asked for it. I only take what Benny dishes out because he saved me, in a public relations sense. When were fifteen, we went to this party, and of course, there was alcohol. I didn't realize how much I had been drinking, but Benny had. He cut me off and got me out before the media got wind of it. He took me to his house, and sobered me up. He didn't even get pissed when I threw up in his bed. he just changed the sheets, told me to get some more sleep, and went back to sleep on the sofa. He kept the media out, and just when I needed it the most. It was right before "Lagoon" opened. I had only earned enough respect to get a leading role; just imagine what that kind of headline would do to a fledgling career. "Teen Actress Drinks Away Career". I would have been screwed before I was started. I owe him everything."  
  
"So you flipped like that because he told you off?"  
  
"Yea, well, we all have our faults, don't we?"  
  
"I guess." But inside, Harry's mind was flying faster than his Firebolt. 'Why are you lying to me, Kate? What are you hiding?'  
  
"But, Kate, you know you can tell me anything, right? I mean one child celebrity to another."  
  
She managed to smile at his weak attempt at a joke. "Yeah, I know, Harry. It's just that, some things are better kept secret. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess I do."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ravenclaw Common Room, Sometime Before Midnight  
  
Jarrod Delaney looked up from his Charms homework. It was slow, boring work that their Professor had given them for not being up to what he had called "usual Ravenclaw standards".  
  
"Hey, Jarrod, whatcha doing?" Matthew Quinnlin had just come in from quidditch practice.  
  
"The damn Charms homework! I can't believe he gave us so much. I'll be here all night!"  
  
"Good, I'll keep you company."  
  
Matt sat down next to him and pulled out his books.  
  
"Matt, why are you so late coming in from practice? You dismissed us about four hours ago."  
  
"I was watching the Gryffindor team practice. I wanted to see how they were doing so far."  
  
"Which team, ours of the Brits?"  
  
"Ours."  
  
"Matt, please don't tell me you were watching for Kate again."  
  
"No. I was watching my sister first. Then I started watching Kate. She's only gotten better. We're gonna have problems beating them."  
  
"Matt, she's always been good. Why were you watching her, honestly?"  
  
"I miss her, Jarrod. She was my life, and then she just walked out. How could she? I gave her everything, and she repays me by allowing me to watch her kiss that goddamn British keeper. what's his name?"  
  
"Ron Weasley?"  
  
"Yea, that's him. She clings to him the way the ivy clings to Wrigley Field."  
  
Jarrod looked up; something in Matt's tone made him worry.  
  
"Matt, you did nothing wrong. Kate will be Kate. You know how finicky she is; say one thing that she takes offense to and your state enemy number one until lunch. Then, you get her a garden salad and French water, and your back in her good graces. Don't worry, she'll come around."  
  
"I sure hope so."  
  
They worked for a couple more hours before Matt looked at the clock and saw that it was well past 1 am.  
  
"Jarrod, it's the weekend; let's just go to bed and deal with our homework on Sunday, like all good American students do."  
  
"Al'ight. I'm good with that."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter Three Ends Here  
  
Okay, okay, I know that last part had no apparent value whatsoever. But, I needed to set up the six other "main" Americana students. Gimme a break. I promise, it all leads to a plot! AML 


	4. Secrets and Lies

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kate had problems getting up on Tuesday morning. She wasn't sure, but it was probably the red haired boy lying on top of her. She smiled.  
  
"Ron." No answer.  
  
"Ronnie, wake up, honey." His head came up this time.  
  
"Sorry, love. I was listening to your heart."  
  
She smiled even wider and dropped a kiss on top of his forehead. "That's sweet, but I think McGonagall would give us detention for the year if our excuse for not going to class was that you wanted to listen to my heart and refused to get up."  
  
"And why would old McGonagall have a problem with that?"  
  
"Because, something tells me would; she doesn't seem liberal in the least. Plus, I wanna ask her if I can throw a party on Friday. And being late would ruin my chances of her saying yes."  
  
"Too true. So, what do you suggest?"  
  
"I suggest that I go to the girls' bathroom and wash up, while you head to the water closet in your room. Sound good?"  
  
"Do we really need separate bathrooms?"  
  
"Yes, silly, now move. You're heavy, and this sofa isn't doing much for my posture."  
  
Ron got off her (reluctantly), and sat on the other end of the couch.  
  
'She looks good even in the morning,' he thought. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips, catching Kate by surprise. It was a sweet kiss; with nothing but love and admiration in it. Ron saw a blush rise in her cheeks.  
  
"Kate, after all the times I've kissed you, this is the first time you blushed."  
  
She nodded her agreement. "That kiss was different."  
  
"Yes, yes it was."  
  
Ron headed to his own washroom while Kate sat on the sofa. What Ron hadn't known was that her blush wasn't out of embarrassment; it was out of guilt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kate skipped into the Great Hall, followed by Shannon and a few other Americana girls. All of them were rather giggly and talking excitedly.  
  
"Kate, whose going to DJ the party?" Dani asked. She was tall, mostly legs, book smart, but a bit of a ditz deep down. But she was a favorite of Kate's, so Ron kept it to himself.  
  
"I don't know. I need to find somebody local; I don't have the time frame to get Skribble."  
  
She hurriedly said good bye, than took her seat next to Ron, across the table from Harry and Hermione, who were so busy making eyes at each other and stealing kisses, that they didn't notice when Ron announced that he wasn't wearing any boxers.  
  
"Ron, how long have they been like that?"  
  
"Since last night. The anniversary of something; I haven't found out what, nor do I want to know."  
  
Kate continued to stare, trying desperately to eat her meal. She soon gave up. Hermione was now the focus of McGonagall's disapproving stare. Apparently cuddling the Head Boy during lunch wasn't acceptable either.  
  
"Thank God I asked before lunch." She turned to Ron. "McGonagall said yes. Party's this Friday night. It starts at 7; McGonagall forgot to give me a curfew, so we'll conveniently 'forget' it."  
  
"Sounds good." Ron looked over at Kate to tell her more about his plans for their own after party, when he noticed Ginny over her head. And what she was wearing. He waited for her to take her seat on Kate's left side before he said anything.  
  
"Ginny, what the hell are you wearing?"  
  
"Clothes?"  
  
"Funny, smart ass. Seriously, when did you start dressing like a slut?"  
  
"How is this sluty?" She gestured to her black micro-mini and red halter. This is a lot classier than what most girls wear."  
  
"Amen to that."  
  
Shannon had just sat down next to Harry and Hermione. She soon saw the error of her ways. "Jesus Christ, will you two go get a goddamn room? And don't you two need oxygen, or is there a tank I don't see?" She rolled her eyes, and gave Kate and Ron a pointed look. "Aren't they infringing on some kind of copyright you two have on making out at the lunch table?"  
  
"Shut it, Quinn, and tell me honestly, what do you think of young Ginny's outfit?"  
  
"It's cute; not to sluty, but shows enough to get attention. Why?"  
  
"Ron has a problem with it."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Doesn't Matt ever get overprotective with you?"  
  
"Yeah, but he gets put in his place."  
  
"See, Ron, its no big deal."  
  
"Yeah, tell me that when I find you being sexually assaulted by Draco Malfoy."  
  
"Ron! That will never happen! Ginny can take care of herself; and she has me to help her along the way."  
  
"I weep for the fate of my family."  
  
"Keep weeping and see if you get any tonight."  
  
Kate gave him a smug look while Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. Quinn was trying not to laugh.  
  
"This is great. I have three girls ganging up on me; possibly four whenever Hermione comes up for air."  
  
Hermione spoke up without moving her lips from Harry's. "I heard that, Weasley. Don't make me send my boyfriend after you."  
  
"Alright, four girls and one guy." He looked back at Kate and Ginny, and did a quick double take. He had just realized how similar they looked. He shuddered. The last thing he needed to think about while snogging his girlfriend was his little sister. He made the mistake of voicing his thoughts.  
  
"So, we look like each other, eh, Ginny? I think we could have fun with this."  
  
"Matching outfits."  
  
". Same hair."  
  
". Make up."  
  
Ron sighed. Women- can't live with 'em can live with out 'em.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Kate! Kate, wait up!"  
  
The redhead did a quick about face, and kept walking backwards. She was late enough for Divination without idle conversation in the hallway.  
  
"Hey, Jarrod, what's up?"  
  
"Where you headed?"  
  
"Divination, with that crazy professor. You know the one that looks like a giant bug. Where are you going? Shouldn't you be kissing some professor's ass right about now?"  
  
"Hey, I work for my grades, thank you. And I have the afternoon off. I wanted to talk to you about the party on Friday."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Who you gonna get to DJ it?"  
  
"I have no clue. I need someone local though, why?"  
  
"Jon has his turntables."  
  
"He does? That great! How the hell did he pack those?"  
  
"He shrunk them. You know, with a spell. Those things were supposed to be learning."  
  
"Shut up. Just because I wasn't put in Ravenclaw doesn't mean I'm not intelligent."  
  
"Whatever you say, Ms. Hollywood. So, you're gonna use Jon."  
  
"Yeah, I think I will. Thanks for telling me, Jarrod."  
  
"No worries. Here, I'll walk you the rest of the way to the tower. Do you need me to carry anything?"  
  
"No, I'm okay. Really, you don't need to walk me."  
  
"I need to talk to you anyway."  
  
He looked down when he said this. Kate didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's about Matt."  
  
Kate rolled her eyes. "Please, Jarrod, not Matt again. I told you more than you need to know about how and why we broke up. More than I should have told you, probably. What more do you need? You've analyzed my fear of commitment to death already."  
  
"Fair enough, but I thought you should know that he still loves you."  
  
"I think we've had this conversation before too."  
  
"Once again correct, but why won't you just admit that you still love him too?"  
  
They had reached the stairs to the Divination tower. Kate seemed to renew her energy and took the stairs two at a time. "Who says that I still love him?"  
  
"I do. And the way you constantly stare at him, and watch him during Qudditch practice, and the way your eyes tear up whenever you see him with someone else. You still love him, but you're too much of a goddamn chicken shit to admit it! It's time to fucking grow up, Kate, and it's time to swallow your fucking pride!" He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around before she could make it up the ladder to Trelawney's room. "Just look me in the eye and tell me you don't love him still, that you won't always love him. Just tell me and I'll go away, I promise."  
  
Kate wiped the tears away with her thumbs, and then did her best to look one of her closest friends in the eyes and not waver. "You're right. I do still love him. I will always love him, but there is a time when things have to be called quits. My life is too damn busy. I'm followed my Muggle and Daily Prophet reporters alike, and I don't want him to be dragged into all of that. And besides, I'm with Ron now. Ron cares for me, and he won't run away at the slightest sign of distress. I need a constant, and Matt wasn't that! That's it."  
  
"Bullshit. Matt never left, and he didn't care about the media. Come up with a better excuse, Kate. Come on, I thought you were an actress. Prove me you're worthy of that title."  
  
"I don't need to explain my actions to you."  
  
"You're right, but you do need to explain them to us."  
  
"Fine. Call the other six together. We'll have a meeting tonight. 1:30 am, Charms corridor."  
  
"I'll see you then."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	5. Meetings and Affairs

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Tuesday night Midnight Gryffindor Common Room  
  
Ron made his way through the portrait hole and headed over to the table in his usual corner. Harry and Hermione were already there, and they were studying. This normally wouldn't have been such a shocker had it not been for the lunch time make out session Ron had been witness to. He dropped his books and plopped into a large, red velvet armchair.  
  
"So, you two finally came up for air?"  
  
"Funny, Ron. Where's Kate?"  
  
"Don't know. Said she wanted to talk to her teammates, I think. Why? What's wrong?"  
  
Hermione cleared her throat and spoke up. "Nothing, Ron, but we need to ask you a question."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why didn't you come up to bed last night?" Harry looked Ron straight in the eye when he asked the question.  
  
Hermione quickly stepped in to play peacemaker. "Not that it really matters, and it's none of our business personally, but we need to ask you as Head Boy and Girl."  
  
Ron just laughed at Hermione's worried look. "I understand, Hermione, don't worry. Kate and I were studying for Herbology. We fell asleep in front of the fire. Nothing happened that anyone could yell at us for. No points will be lost."  
  
Hermione visibly relaxed. "Okay. Ron, I'm sorry about that, but we do need to ask."  
  
"Hermione, I told you it was okay. All I want to know is, who checks up on you when you and Harry don't wind up in your own beds?"  
  
Harry stood. His green eyes were almost level with Ron's blue ones. "That was a low blow, Ron."  
  
"Yeah, well, so was asking about what I was doing with my girlfriend. We wouldn't do anything more than snog in the common room, and you two know it."  
  
"We know, Ron. Just be careful, okay?"  
  
"You got it, Hermione. Good night."  
  
"'Night, Ron."  
  
"'Night."  
  
Hermione waited for Ron to leave before turning back to Harry.  
  
"Harry, do you ever wonder if he's making a mistake with Kate?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She seems. I don't know, but she doesn't seem like she really very serious about him, does she? And he's running around, trying to do whatever he can for her. I just don't think either of them is making a wise choice."  
  
"'Mione, that could apply to a lot of people."  
  
"But I don't think she's being up front with us, Harry. She's hiding something, and it's a damn big something, if I'm guessing right."  
  
"That maybe, Hermione, but we can't just come out and tell Ron that; he'd kill us. Just give Kate a chance."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
1:30 am Charms Corridor  
  
Kate was waiting in the alcove by Professor Flitwick's room. She had the hood of her cloak pulled up to hide her flaming red hair. Shannon came next and nudged Kate to get her attention.  
  
"Why are we having a meeting now? I thought we were waiting until we got a positive confirmation on Voldemort's position."  
  
"Hush. I'll explain when everyone gets here."  
  
Within five minutes, the rest had shown up.  
  
"Follow me. We're going up to the south tower. We need to be far from everyone else. This might get a bit loud."  
  
They went at a sprint up to the south tower. Had any of the students seen them, they would have noted how all eight ran low to the ground, as if they were running a secret ops mission. They made it to the south tower in about five minutes. Benny started the conversation.  
  
"Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor Saturday. Who's gonna win it? Kate? Shannon? No bragging? I think we need to take your temperatures if you don't start showing off in a minute."  
  
"Benny, shove it where the sun don't shine. We have more important things to discuss."  
  
Matt looked Kate dead in the eye. Had Jarrod told him about their meeting in the hallway? She'd kill him if he did. "Like, what's going on in the different houses? Anything suspicious? C 'mon people, talk to me."  
  
Dani went first. "Nothing too unusual is going on in Hufflepuff. It's just normal stuff, like people necking in the common room, bitching about how they never win. Stuff like that."  
  
"What about Ravenclaw?"  
  
"Everyone's too stressed about perfect grades to do anything but sit in the common room or library to study. The wildest I've ever seen them is when they're trying to argue up their GPA with McGonagall."  
  
"Shit. Lauren, Benny, I hope you have good news."  
  
Benny shook his head; he hadn't heard anything interesting in the past two weeks or so.  
  
"Lauren?"  
  
"Draco has a thing for the youngest Weasley."  
  
"SHIT! When did he tell you this?"  
  
"Our first night here, he confronted me in the common room. I turned the tables on him and asked who he was interested in. I figured it would be a Gryffindor, but I didn't know that it would be Ginny. I had to fight to keep my cool when he told me. His crush just fucked over our entire mission."  
  
"Yeah, well, that ain't the worst of it."  
  
Kate had seven pairs of eyes on her. "His feelings are returned. Ginny told me after lunch."  
  
"That would explain a lot."  
  
"Yeah, like how she gets pissed whenever someone bad mouths Malfoy. I wish I could tell her."  
  
Matt took her hands; Kate kept her gaze directed downwards. She couldn't let them see the blush on her cheeks. She thought 'They depend on you for answers, Kate; you don't get to be human.'  
  
"Kate, you know you can't. We're here to try and prevent it, but we can't tell them; then we put them in danger. We agreed to this job; we're the ones that get the pay checks."  
  
Kate nodded. "You're right. But we can try to keep them a part. Draco and Ginny don't get close enough for a dance on Friday, got it? I don't care if you don't get to dance with someone you like; you're there to keep them apart, understood."  
  
They all nodded.  
  
"Good. It's time to get some sleep."  
  
They nodded and left. Jarrod and Matt were the last ones to leave. As he passed her, Jarrod hissed, "Talk to him, Kate."  
  
She nodded and grabbed Matt's arm to keep him from leaving.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
He just looked down at her, his intense gaze making her squirm. Kate hated it when he did that.  
  
"I was talking to Jarrod."  
  
"And he said that I'm still in love with you, right?"  
  
"Yeah, he did."  
  
"He's right. But I can't do a damn thing if you don't love me back, right?"  
  
Tears were forming in her eyes.  
  
'Please, Matt. Please don't make me cry.'  
  
"Look at me, Kate."  
  
He tilted her chin to look up at him. "What do you feel?"  
  
"Feel? I'm not allowed to feel. The only feeling I can show is whatever I need to so I can get a confession, or convince my audience that I'm not Kate Morgan; I'm some stranger on a screen. That's all I am any more. I'm not allowed feelings, or."  
  
He kissed her quickly. She didn't even realized what was happening before he pulled back.  
  
"You just kissed me."  
  
A nod from him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I think Jarrod told you that. I. Still. Love. You. I'm in love with Kate Morgan, Hollywood actress, and the girl I met my first year at Americana. My sister's friend. The one who used to play games with me; the girl who went into town with me, and we would pretend that we were married, or something else that was completely off the wall. And do you know why we did that?"  
  
"Refresh my memory."  
  
"Because it was fun. Because she wanted to feel alive, and that helped her." He was too close to be considered just friendly, and was whispering in her ear now. "You're still that same girl, Kate. Just older and wiser."  
  
"Am I really? I wasn't as good to you as I should have been. I took what you wanted to give me and I ran from you. I ran all the way to O'Hare, only to find out that you were assigned to this mission too. And to counteract that, I kiss the first I guy I meet on the Express. It was blind dumb luck that he was Ronald Weasley. And do you know what makes me such a bad person?"  
  
"There isn't anything bad about you."  
  
"Yes, there is. I don't love him. He wants to give me the sun, stars, and moon, but I don't love him. And I don't know what to do."  
  
Kate had started to cry. Kate never cried. Matt pulled her close, hushing her and rubbing small circles on her back.  
  
"It's all gonna be okay." He started singing.  
  
"She grew up with the children of the stars, in the Hollywood hills and the Boulevard."  
  
That earned a laugh from Kate.  
  
"You shouldn't be singing."  
  
"Hey! Don't bite the hand that calms you."  
  
"Sorry. That's our song." She pulled away, keeping her arms wrapped around his chest. "Thank you, Matt."  
  
"You're more than welcome."  
  
"Matt, what are we gonna do?"  
  
"What do you want to do?"  
  
"I want to. I know what I want, but I can't have it! I can't just leave Ron like that. It would be suspicious. Plus, we need more inside information for Gryffindor. Being with Ron helps me get to basically everybody."  
  
"This could be our little secret."  
  
"Like, having an affair?"  
  
"Something like that, yes."  
  
"But what happens when they find out?"  
  
"They don't find out. We meet like this, maybe in the library to avoid gossip. Who would suspect that anything was going on between a studious Ravenclaw, and the girlfriend of Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend? If you bring all three of them along, the suspicion is even further removed."  
  
"It sounds so wrong."  
  
Matt kissed her again, just a little bit longer.  
  
".but feels so right?" he finished for her.  
  
Kate bit her lip and nodded. This is what she had wanted along; she had wanted to use Ron to make Matt jealous. She just wished this plan didn't have the potential to hurt that it did. She was about to voice her worry to Matt when he kissed her for the third time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	6. Party in the Common Room

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Friday Night 7:00 pm Gryffindor Common Room Kate was already in the common room. Jon was set up on a make-shift platform in the corner furthest from the dormitory stairs, testing the tables; the food was set up next to the Tower's entrance. Kate turned around to see Shannon standing in the stairwell. "Quinn, you look great! Lemme get a good look at you." Kate twirled her hand in the air. "C' mon, turn around." Shannon did as was requested of her. She was wearing a short, summery purple one piece that fitted her well and showed off some skin, with straw- like sandals; Kate wolf whistled. "Someone's gonna get some tonight..." "Shut up, Kate. Hey, Hermione." "Hey, Shannon. You look nice. You look good in purple." "You're not looking too bad yourself, Hermione. Do you know where the guys are?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're not back yet? I told Harry to have them in by six... when they get in they'll have to shower... grrr..." "Relax, it's no big. I'm sure we can find guys to dance with until then. And I'm willing to bet that if we let that slip out, Harry and Ron would set new land speed records trying to get down here. Shannon, can you go open the portrait hole? We have people waiting outside." The fat lady's portrait swung open, and the party began. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Kate had been right. More than half of the school had been waiting out side the portrait hole to get in. They came in, and Jon started spinning everything he could get his hands on. Kate watched the boy with dreds spin while trying to keep everyone happy. Just when she was headed off of the dance floor to find Ron, she was pulled back from behind. "You weren't thinking of leaving without giving me a dance, were you?" Kate smiled and relaxed into the embrace. "Hey, Matt." "Let's go; I asked Jon to play us a slower song." Kate gave him a puzzled look. Slower song? But why dance to a slower song? When it started, she understood, and allowed herself to be led out to the dance floor that had been cleared in the middle of the room. She forgot for a moment that she had a boyfriend, that the dance floor could be seen from the landing outside of the dorms, and that she could be caught by anyone. Instead, she turned around, got as close as she could to Matt, and just danced. She grew up with the children of the stars In the Hollywood Hills and the boulevard... His arms went around her waist; her's went around his neck. She feels safe now In this bar on Fairfax And from the stage I can tell That she can't let go and she can't relax And just before She hangs her head to cry I sing to her a lullaby I sing Matt began to sing in her ear. This was their song; he had sung this to her when she felt lost and scared, when the weight of the world felt like it would crush her. Everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye Everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye Rockabye "What's wrong, Kate?" "I'm wondering how the hell we aren't going to get caught." "We'll be careful." And she's seen her share of devils In this angel town... "We'll keep Malfoy out of the picture; you can break up with Ron at the end of the year, and get off free..." But, everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye Everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye Rockabye Seems like everyone's got a plan... "And then, what do we do, Matt?" "We do what we've always done. We screw up people's plans. What else would us nosey Americans do?" That earned him a laugh. Everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye Everything's gonna be all right Rockabye, rockabye, rockabye, bye, bye Bye, bye... When the song ended, Kate found herself facing Matt, her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his chest. There were some tears on her cheeks; she had left wet spots on Matt's shirt. How had that happened? And oh shit, Ron was here, and he was watching her with Matt. Suddenly self conscious, Kate pulled away. It was time to go see what Ron was thinking. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Ron had gotten out of the shower in time to see Kate being lead onto the dance floor. He went to grab a butterbeer, and stood by Benny. Ron didn't know Benny very well, but he knew that the kid was a good friend of Kate's; Benny would be able to tell him what was going on. Just before he got to Benny, Ron heard a snippet of conversation between him and a boy he recognized as an Americana Ravenclaw. The stranger started. "Do you think they're back together?" Benny glared. "Kate's with Ron." "Yeah, but Matt's her old boyfriend; do you really think they had a clean break?" "Yeah." "She threw her stilettos at him, and he had the Beaters send Buldgers at her head; you call that a clean break?" "Maybe not. What's your point, Jarrod, other than causing trouble?" "They're still in love." "That may be, but we can't mess with anything; we need everything to go right with this." Ron decided to break in at this point and play the jealous boyfriend. "Hey guys; who's Kate dancing with?" Benny silenced Jarrod with a look; he would defuse the situation. "That's her ex." "Okay, so why is she dancing with him? Why didn't she wait for me?" Ron knew that he sound whipped, but he didn't really care just then. He was watching his girlfriend dance with her friend's twin brother, and she looked like she was closer to him than she should have been. "This is their song." "I'm still not getting it." "Kate had problems a few years ago. She had Muggle and magical reporters all over her; she didn't have a moment of privacy. She was acting, going to school, dodging reporters, and playing Quidditch for Americana. She fit sleep and school work in wherever she could. Then, she started to date Matt. This was about a year and a half ago, maybe. He took care of her. He helped her with her homework, helped her to put up charms that were to complex for Kate alone to keep the media away; and then he would just listen to her problems. There was no judgment; they considered each other to be equal. Then about a month before we found out we were to come here, to Hogwarts, it fell apart. She pushed him away. You could here the screaming coming from their dorm rooms. From what we could hear through the doors and walls, she didn't want him to have to be put in the way of the media; she said she liked him the way he was, that she didn't want him to become jaded by her lifestyle. He would scream back that here was no where else he wanted to be, whether he became jaded or not. Then, she broke it off. The most they would say was a hello if they were both with Shannon; nothing more than that. But I guess they've gotten over it." Benny shrugged. "And that's about it." "Oh. Okay." Ron finished off his butterbeer as the song wrapped up. Kate headed towards him when she came off the dance floor, giving him a peck on the lips. "Hey, babe." "Hey yourself. Can you spare a dance for me?" "Of course; let's go." Kate danced with Ron the rest of the night. Jon was as good a DJ as Kate had said. He played non stop, with no breaks in the music. They danced to everything from Hip-hop to rock. Ron thought things were going great; but he didn't notice the smile was missing from his dance partner's face.  
  
Set me free Set me free Set me free. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Saturday Harry was zooming around the Quidditch pitch on his Firebolt 3000; the model had only come out last spring. One of the first brooms had been given to Harry for being such and outstanding customer of the Firebolt line of brooms. The game had been going well so far. Ron had only let two shots go by him, and Ginny had been absolutely brilliant. She had managed to nail both Ravenclaw Beaters, the Keeper, and one Chaser. And it had all been done legally too. Harry prided himself on having a team that played by the rules. He flew down to the Ravenclaw end of the pitch. He smiled as he listened to Dean Thomas' commentary; he took his inspiration from Lee Jordan. "And Chaser Terry Boot is on a break way down field-, wait he's stopped by Gryffindor Beater Ginny Weasley. Ginny, following in the footsteps of her older brothers, although I dare to say, at the risk of her brothers beating the crap out of me..." "DEAN!" "... that she is much more attractive than either of the Weasley twins." "Mr. Thomas, I WILL GIVE YOU DETENTION FOR A MONTH IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!" "Sorry Professor! But you must admit that she looks much better in Quidditch robes." McGonagall gave him a look. Dean just cleared his throat and got back to announcing the game. Harry tuned him out; Dean was a good announcer, but Lee could never be replaced. He watched on as Colin made four goals in a row. They were now ahead by an easy 100 points, and Harry found himself day dreaming. He wanted this game to be over, and he just wanted to sit with Hermione and see how well Kate and the other Americans could play Quidditch. Americans weren't supposed to be very good, but the country did have a few promising teams, most of which drafted players from Americana. Harry spotted a glimmer next to Ron's ear. A rookie seeker wouldn't have seen it. Harry flattened his body on the broomstick, and sped off. Ron looked up to see his best friend shooting at him. "Harry! What the bloody hell is wrong with you...?" But that was as much as he could say; he had to duck or be knocked out. When he felt it was safe to come back up, Harry was landing with the Snitch. Dean was screaming the score. "And Gryffindor once again wins, with a score of 300-50." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The Hogwarts players landed and dismounted just as the Americana players came out. They had been given uniforms of the same design as that of the house teams. Ron noticed with dismay that Kate was once again standing with Matt, talking, while they waited for the pitch to clear. "She's talking to him again." Harry snapped out of his daydream and look over at Kate and Matt. "Ron, if what they're doing means that she cheating on you, then Hermione's been cheating on me from day one." Ron grinned. "I'm so sorry that you had to find out this way, Harry." "Shut up. Let's go find Hermione and get our seats." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Kate stood at the end of the pitch, watching as Jon pushed Dean out of the announcer's seat. Jon announced all of the Americana matches, and Kate always won when he was announcing. Why mess with a good thing? Harry and Ron walked past them to leave the pitch. "Hey, how about a good luck kiss?" Kate got her wish. "What, I don't get to give you one?" "Shut up, Harry." "I'll shut up when I see that Americans can play Quidditch, and not just whatever the hell you play across the Pond." "Hey, Quodpot's a bitch to play. I'd like to see you play with an exploding Quaffle." "We have; Seamus jinxed the Quaffle by accident one year. It was a nightmare and almost cost us the Cup." Kate laughed. "We have to go; its time to start." "Good luck." As Kate and Matt marched out, and as the teams became air born, Jon announced them. "For Ravenclaw today, we have the Smith triplets playing in the Chasers' spots, Matthew Quinnlin and Patrick O'Leary playing Beater, Maggie Brentton playing the Keep, and Kelli Preston Seeking. And now for Gryffindor..." The crowd seemed evenly divided between cheering and booing. Jon continued. "Kate Morgan, Shannon Quinnlin, and Chris Jordan are Chasing, Mike Hennigan and Aeneas Nike Beating, Sara Mitchell in the Keep, and Krystyna Maloney seeking the little gold ball. The Quaffle is out, and play begins." Harry and Ron were quick about showering and changing. They were out in their seats next to Hermione before the first points were scored. "Smith to Smith; stolen by Quinnlin on a beautiful hit of the Bludger by Nike... the pass is off to Jordan before the Bludger hits her; hit that way by her own brother I believe..." Kate went zooming by Matt. "Didn't your mother tell you not to pick on your sister?" "Nope." "Morgan ducks before the Bludger hits her... Matt Quinnlin on a streak with his bat, going after the girls, it seems; Jordan to Morgan to Quinnlin, back to Morgan, the shot... Morgan beats out Brentton for the points. Quaffle thrown out to Smith... Thomas to Reed, back to Thomas, Becky, shoots, and Mitchell blocks. Thrown to Morgan, passes up field to Jordan, the Quaffle is thrown to the end of the pitch to Quinnlin; she dodges her brother, O'Leary, shot on goal- SCORE!" Cheers went up from the stands. Ron looked over at Harry, whose mouth was open in shock. "So, Captain, can Americans play Quidditch?" "They're certainly better than the Cannons, Ron." "Cheap shot, Potter." "Thank you, Weasley. Now pay attention; wouldn't want your girlfriend pissed because you weren't watching her." "Preston throws the ball to Thomas Smith, pass to Becky, looks like Jordan's going for the Quaffle, he's blocked by O'Leary. I'll tell you, this is the most aggressive I've ever seen this team play. Becky to brother Reed, back to Thomas, shot, SCORE! Score is now 20-10, Gryffindor. Quinnlin has position of the Quaffle, loses it to Becky Smith, Nike winds up, hits, and the Quaffle is back in Gryffindor possession. Jordan streaks down field, coming up to the scoring area, and yes, here it comes, the Woollongong Shimmy! Chris Jordan has perfected this move... shot on Brentton, and he SCORES!" "Holy shit! Harry, did you see that? He just pulled off one of the most dangerous moves I've ever seen!" "I saw, Ron, and I'm wondering why Kate would let him do that. If he had gone the wrong way, his head would've been bashed in." Ron was sure Harry would have said more had not Hermione chosen to kiss him right then. "Brentton clears the scoring area; Reed Smith appears to be going for the score... but he is DENIED by Nike. Aeneas is all over the pitch today. Quaffle is now in Morgan's possession, she's going for the goal... Wait, it seems as though Maloney and Preston have spotted the Snitch... this could be a fake folks; Krystyna is known for her excellent Wronski Feint... Morgan's going for the goal... Maloney still in a dive, getting awfully close to the field... Morgan scores and... Maloney pulls out of the dive WITH THE SNITCH!" Madame Hooch blew her whistle. "That's it, Gryffindor wins, 180-10. This is Jon, signing out." "Harry?" "Yes, Ron?" "What do we do if we have to play them in the final?" Harry swallowed. "We play to win, Ron; that's all we can do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	7. A Dark Outlook

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Saturday Midnight Slytherin Dungeons  
  
Ginny did her best to keep quiet. Even though she was a prefect, she could still be caught, and points could still be taken off. She was creeping slowly down to the Slytherin common room. Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her waist, and a hand hold her mouth shut, stifling her scream of surprise. It was only Draco, after all.  
  
"Quiet, Ginny. God knows where Snape is. He can sneak up on you; the nearer to the common room, the more likely it is."  
  
Draco took his hand off Ginny's mouth and spun her around.  
  
"Did you miss me, Gin?"  
  
"God, yes." She pulled his head down into a kiss.  
  
Who knew little Ginny Weasley could kiss like this, Draco thought. He angled his head to get the advantage. Ginny moaned when his tongue sought entrance to her mouth. Ginny felt Draco's hand slide down her back, sinking into dangerously low territory.  
  
"Draco; hands."  
  
"Sorry, love."  
  
"It's alright," she whispered as continued to pepper his face with soft kisses. She wanted all of him, and if not that, all that she could possibly get. Much to her chagrin, Draco stopped her.  
  
"Ginny, love, what are you thinking?"  
  
"I'm thinking that you better keep kissing me, because I may never get to see you again if our Head Boy or Head Girl find us."  
  
"Potter and Granger? What the hell can they do? All we'd have to do is go tell Snape that they've been using the Head Boy and Girl bedrooms for snogging, and they'd be taken care of."  
  
"Draco! Harry's my brother's best friend, and Hermione herself is a good friend of mine! I wouldn't let you!"  
  
"Does this mean I can't call her mudblood anymore?"  
  
"I'll hurt you if I ever here you call anyone that, Hermione especially."  
  
"Ginny."  
  
"Draco, shut up and kiss me before I go and tell Harry were you are, and that you tried to attack me."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"I would."  
  
With a shrug, Draco kissed her again, and again, and again.  
  
They woke on the dungeon floor in the morning, wrapped around each other.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Monday Mid-afternoon  
  
"Hermione, I simply can't understand why you don't like Kate. She's a perfectly nice person; she may have her problems, but she isn't malicious or anything."  
  
"Harry, I KNOW that! I just don't trust her! She barely managed to answer me when I asked her how she was able to attend Americana and still film Muggle movies. And, she's too damn near perfect!"  
  
"I think you're jealous!"  
  
Harry watched as Hermione came over to the couch in his room and flopped down next to him.  
  
"Harry Potter, you know that I'm not jealous. I have what I want." She leaned over and kissed him, causing Harry's eye brows to rise.  
  
"Keep doing that, 'Mione."  
  
She pulled away.  
  
"You know, if you want to be a good Head Girl, you need to learn how to follow the Head Boy's directions."  
  
"Then the Head Boy needs to learn how to trust the Head Girl's instincts."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just kiss me again."  
  
Hermione complied with his request. "I just want you to know that this doesn't mean that I trust Kate."  
  
"You're really that distrusting of her?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I'll look into her, if it makes you feel any better. Just as long as you come back here and kiss me like that again."  
  
"Thank you, Harry." Hermione leaned over and kissed him with every once of love she had.  
  
"I do believe I love you, Harry Potter."  
  
"The feeling's returned, Hermione. Trust me, the feeling's returned."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ron followed Kate down the Charms corridor at a clipped pace. She said she had wanted to show him something, and that something would be something that he would like to see. He was almost to Flitwick's room when Kate ambushed him with a kiss.  
  
"Hey, doll. What took you so long?"  
  
"Some of us have best friends that are workaholics. They don't exactly approve when I run off to snog my new girlfri-", and Kate cut him off with another kiss. He was amazed to find himself being backed into an alcove. How the hell could she manage to move them backwards? All of the blood had abandoned his brain and had headed south. If he could just manage to tilt his head at the right angle.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"Weasley?"  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
Ron's eyes landed on his sister. She was standing behind Malfoy; her hands were suspiciously low.  
  
"GINNY! EXPLAIN, NOW!"  
  
"After you! I mean, it's okay for you to stand in a private place and snog Kate, but not for me to kiss Draco?"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the fuck up. Kate, first off, is not the heir to an evil organization. Secondly, you're kissing Draco MALFOY. Let me spell it out for you, in case you didn't get it the first time. M-A-L-F-O-Y. As in, Lucius Malfoy, who hates our family and everything good, and fuzzy, and kind on the face of the earth! I'm willing to bet that the bastard tortures little bunnies for fun! Come on, Ginny, use your common sense!"  
  
"There's no proof that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater."  
  
"Ginny, wake up! Dad raided his house two years ago and found all kinds of things. He found proof of illegal charms work, and potions, and stuff like that! He isn't safe! I just want my little sister to be safe!" Ron's voice was now bordering on desperate.  
  
"Don't do that Ron! Don't patronize me, or tell me that you want your little sister to be safe. I'm growing up, Ron, and I will fall in love, or lust, or whatever, and when I do, I need to learn how to deal with it on my own! Kate, some help please.?"  
  
Kate just shook her head. Her sad eyes mirrored the younger girl's sad look. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but I gotta go with Ron on this one." She shot an evil look at Draco. "Any Malfoy's bad news, especially Lucius' son. You just need to trust me on this. You can do so much better."  
  
"Jesus Christ, Morgan, is the sex that good? Is he so good in bed that you're willing to agree with him on EVERYTHING? I'm disappointed in you; Lauren always told me that you had more of a spine."  
  
"Wait a goddamn minute! I have more backbone than you, or any one else in this entire school! I have dealt with more shit, since I was 13, mind you, than you will ever have to deal with, Malfoy. You have daddy's henchmen to clean everything up for you. I don't! I've learned how to take care of myself! And I haven't even slept with Ron, how dare you say that I did!"  
  
"But it doesn't mean that you wouldn't."  
  
"Ginny, stop it now, you know that Kate is right," Ron said.  
  
"It doesn't mean she won't sleep with you."  
  
"Ginny, you're right, but the fact remains that I haven't. I don't want to know what you have or haven't done with. this. can I even call you a man, Malfoy? Do you have human DNA, or are you just there? Ginny, I've made my share of mistakes, but they will all pale in comparison to your sleeping with him, if that's your choice. Ron, we need to go. I'll kill him if I stay any longer."  
  
Ron looked at his little sister, shocked by Kate's attitude and words. He was now torn between hate for Malfoy and love for his little sister. But what was he to do? He turned and followed Kate back to Gryffindor common room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey, Ron; Kate."  
  
"Hi, Harry. Ron, I'm gonna get going; I want to get the Americana team captains together for a little chat. Bye." She gave him a peck on the cheek and ran off, presumably to get her practice robes on.  
  
"Ron, how's Kate?"  
  
"She's fine, what do you mean?"  
  
"Does she ever seem, I don't know, strange to you?"  
  
"No, although she gave Malfoy a pretty hard time just now in the hall. It was kind of scary."  
  
"I knew I liked her for a reason. But we need to talk about Kate."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Hermione claims that she just too perfect."  
  
"Like Hermione's one to talk."  
  
"True, but I promised her I would ask. She's my girlfriend, and I promised."  
  
They sat there for a few moments, both of them staring into the fire.  
  
Finally, Ron spoke up. "You should have seen her just now. She gave Malfoy this high and mighty speech about how she took care of her own problems; that she didn't need someone cleaning up after her. It was strange to say the least."  
  
Just then, Kate ran down the stairs with Shannon not too far behind. Both girls were dressed for practice.  
  
"I'll see you later, doll." And with another kiss, they were out the door and on their way to the pitch.  
  
Harry watched them go, then turned back to the fire muttering," Strange indeed."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hour Later Quidditch Pitch  
  
Eight brooms hovered fifty feet above the ground, a Quaffle flying between them. Nikola looked over at Kate, slightly annoyed. Kate had called them together; what was taking her so long to start?  
  
"Kate, what's the deal? You didn't call us all out here to play catch."  
  
Kate sighed. "Well, lemme start out be telling you that Victoria is gonna be seriously pissed."  
  
Matt let the Quaffle go past him as his head shot up and his eyes met Kate's. "What the hell do you mean 'Victoria's gonna be pissed?' What happened?"  
  
"Ron and I stumbled across young Ginny in the corridor. with Draco Malfoy. They looked pretty into it."  
  
"Shit! What the hell went wrong?! I thought you were dancing with Draco, Dani!"  
  
"Wait a goddamn second! Why is it my job to dance with your cousin? Why couldn't Kate, or Nikki, or hell, even you dance with Malfoy?"  
  
"Because Dani is dating someone, and dancing with your cousin is just too damn strange, that's why we couldn't dance with Draco."  
  
"And dancing with your new boyfriend's hated enemy is bound to ruin the relationship."  
  
Jarrod rolled his eyes. "Stop blaming each other. I hate to sound so completely Disney, but we simply cannot put the blame on each other. We need to figure out how far this is gone, and then stop it. We need to think logically, not emotionally. If we think emotionally, Lucius catches on to us, we get caught, and then we're dead. If we die, it doesn't matter if Victoria is pissed, or if Draco gets his girl. If we're gone, all that stands between an evil empire is Harry Potter and his two best friends, one of which he is now dating. And what happens when you have people that important to you fighting by your side?"  
  
All eight teens looked down towards the ground and repeated the life lesson that he been scorched into their brains.  
  
"You fall in love, and then they die."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	8. Fight! Fight! Fight!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Fast Forward to Christmas  
  
Harry sat in the common room, staring into the glowing embers of the fire and reflected on what had happened in the past few months. He and Hermione had had their first real fight. Lauren Malfoy had approached him in the library in late November and had asked what Harry considered a completely innocent question about Potions. But unfortunately, Hermione hadn't seen it that way. According to Hermione, he had been flirting with Malfoy's cousin, and she in retaliation had gone over and had flirted with Malfoy. Thus began their first real fight, and started a chain reaction.  
  
Hermione's flirtation and Draco's reaction had sent Ginny into a rage aimed at Hermione and Draco respectively. Ginny had called their now open relationship off then and there. While this pleased Kate, Ron was upset over Ginny's sadness and had told her off. This was not wise, in hindsight, because Kate had no qualms about putting Ron in his place and dumping his bum on the cold marble floor of the library. She had not been as infatuated with him as he of her. Harry thought back to those unhappier times as he cuddled closer to Hermione on the common room couch.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Flashback to Last Week of November  
  
Kate walked to her classes tucked in between Matt, Benny, and Jarrod. She refused to look Ron or Hermione or Harry in the eye when they met in the hall. She managed to avoid the common room when the trio was there, which saddened Harry; he had enjoyed talking to her about Quidditch theories, or who would win the next World Cup, if America could qualify and how far they would go. She was also another child celebrity, and he felt like she could talk to him about it honestly. But his relationship with Hermione was now fragile, and he even though he told her his thoughts on Kate, he didn't want her upset. He was happy to have her back; he wouldn't fuck it up on purpose.  
  
The trouble began on a Friday right before a Hogsmead trip. Kate walked down the hall past Harry, Hermione, and Ron with her entourage, and it was just too much for Ron. Before Harry could stop him, he was yelling down the hall at Kate.  
  
"What, you're too good to talk to me now? Is that how you act with all of your ex boyfriends? 'Cause it would explain a lot, like how he," Ron pointed at Matt," dumped you. He couldn't stand you, could he? Insensitive little bitch."  
  
"Watch what you're saying." Benny was suddenly in Ron's face. "I swear to God, punk, I'll jack yo ass up. I'll beat ya so bad; they won't know who the hell ya are when they get ya to the hospital."  
  
"What? Now Kate and Matt can't fight their own fights? I don't remember talking to you, Benjamin."  
  
"You little piece of shit." Benny grabbed Ron by the shirt collar and held him there, so they were nose to nose.  
  
"Benny, not now! Save it for later."  
  
"Well, at least we know that Kate sticks up for herself. What's wrong, Mattie? Letting your whore and her friends fight for you now?"  
  
Harry winced at Ron's choice of words. Ever since Ron's embarrassment in the library, Kate had spent more time with Matt then before, and rumors were flying that they were back together again. Harry saw anger flash in the American boy's eyes before he made his move.  
  
Matt didn't waste time chewing the fat. He flew at Ron past Kate and Benny and landed a right hook to his jaw. Harry left Hermione to go after Matt, but encountered Benny, Kate, and just about every Americana student in the hall. Benny looked dangerously close to following through with his promise to beat Ron into a pulp.  
  
"Stop! Stop! This is not allowed! Ron, stop!" Harry looked to see Hermione, or a teacher. where the hell was Filch or even Snape when you needed him? But Harry didn't have anymore time to think. He through his own punch at Benny, trying to get him off of Ron. He soon found Jarrod's fist flying into his face. The fight continued for a good five minutes, until Snape finally arrived in what Harry guessed was his latest arrival to a scene where he could punish a group of students at once.  
  
But Snape wasn't very effective at stopping the fight. Benny got about six more punches in at Ron before Chris Jordan got him back, and Matt himself went after Ron then. Harry tried to stop him, but Jarrod proved a rather effective block. Harry received at least three hits to the stomach, and four to the jaw before Jarrod decided to let Reed Smith drag him away. Matt and Kate were the last to go. Kate had been busy screaming at. Hermione? Hermione had gotten into this? Both girls had scratches on their faces, and they were screaming about who was right and who was wrong.  
  
"I told him! I fucking told him that Ginny and Draco were bad news! I told him that it would be a mistake, but he won't listen. And when the time comes, we're gonna have to clean up your mess, just like everything else!"  
  
"I wish you would just get over yourself! Americans think they know better, don't they? You're always right. Let's just forget that we have a few centuries more history than you!"  
  
Kate looked about ready to tear out Hermione's hair strand by strand when Aeneas Nike picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and he and Mike Hennigan held her back by her arms.  
  
"Let me go, I ain't done yet! I ain't done with her yet!"  
  
Aeneas shook his head. "Yes you are, Kate."  
  
As Kate struggled with Aeneas and Mike, Matt was still going at it with Ron. Harry tried to count the punches. One. two. three. four. five. and here it comes. Matt hit low to bring Ron to his knees, and brought his knee into Ron's face. Harry could hear the crunch from where Dean and Seamus where holding him back. Finally, Pat O'Leary dragged him back before more bodily damage could be done. And if that wasn't enough, Kelli Preston decided to get in Ron's face. Thankfully, Snape stepped in, not like he did much to stop the fight.  
  
"Morgan, Quinnlin, Nike, Hennigan, Spattz, Delaney, O'Leary, Jordan, Smith, Thomas, Finnegan, Potter, Granger, and Weasley, my office, NOW!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sunday Evening Quidditch Locker Rooms  
  
Ron didn't want to be here. He had been sent to get Kate; everyone else had refused the job. Knowing her, she had planned it like this. She had planned to have a Quidditch practice before their detention, just to make him come into the locker room after her.  
  
"Kate! Get you're ass out here! We have a detention!" Ron waited a few minutes for Kate to come out; she didn't come out. He'd have to go in.  
  
"Goddamn it, Morgan."  
  
Ron swallowed and stalked into the girls changing room; he could hear water dripping in the showers. Great, she had just taken a shower. He wasn't looking forward to Kate coming out of the shower. One did not forget the feelings one had just two weeks ago easily. This would be. whoa. He had turned the corner looking for Kate, and had run straight into Shannon. who was wearing nothing but a towel. She gasped and pulled the towel tighter around herself.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in here? Don't you knock? Jesus Christ!"  
  
"Sorry. I. I. I need to see Kate."  
  
"Why, come to finish her off?"  
  
"What? No, we have detention."  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're staring."  
  
He shook his head. Was he? He was busy watching her put her equipment away and take her normal clothes out. Why hadn't he noticed the way she moved before? She was actually quite pretty, prettier than Kate, it seemed to him just then.  
  
"Ron? Why are you here? Detention doesn't start for another 30 minutes?" Kate had come out, obviously in the middle of getting dressed. She had her jeans on with bra, hair drier in hand.  
  
"They sent me for you now."  
  
"'Kay. Come over here; let Shannon finished getting dressed."  
  
Ron nodded, smiled at Shannon, and followed Kate around another corner to a dressing table. He noticed that the girls changing room was nicer than the guys'; they had plain benches and chairs, while the girls seemed to have done some decorating. Kate plugged in the hair drier and caught Ron's surprised face in the mirror.  
  
"What 'cha thinking?"  
  
"Well, I'm wondering how you managed to get electricity in here, and then I want to know why the hell you have so many cosmetics. And I'm thinking that the girls have actual stalls in there showers isn't any fair either."  
  
"The electricity's easy. We do have spells for that stuff you know. We have to keep a city of 8 million Muggles running with their electricity so they don't catch on to us. When you're in a situation like that, you learn how to keep the electric workin' along with magic, or you get caught. And there are spells for running electric lines too. As for the make-up, it ain't all mine. It's all of ours. Some of its Dani's, and Nikola's, and Shannon's and mine. Some of it belongs to the Hogwarts girls. We just know, and we share it. As for the stalls, we did those ourselves."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ron, look, I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For lying to you and for leading you on. I was never up front with you. I just wanted fun, and you wanted serious. I think Hermione caught on to that nicely; she hates me for hurting you."  
  
"She doesn't hate you."  
  
"Ron, honey, wake up. Hermione practically hisses when I come down the hall. She doesn't want me near you or Harry. And I can't blame her; my life is crazy. I have reporters knocking at all times, day or night. And I'm never serious about anything. Ever."  
  
"I've seen you be serious."  
  
"Oh really? When has this been?"  
  
"You're serious about Quidditch, and about acting too, I assume. And you're serious about M-A-T-T." Ron leaned his head close enough to Kate to touch his forehead hers.  
  
"So we now spell everything out?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Cute."  
  
"I've always thought that I was attractive; it's good to hear you say so."  
  
Both laughed.  
  
"So, can we be friends?"  
  
"Ronnie, is the Pope Catholic?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then I think we can work something out."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione was in jeans, a sweater, and her pea coat, and in Harry's humble opinion, she had never looked better. Detention with Hagrid would never be so difficult. They had to go out and help Hagrid chop down pine trees for the Great Hall, then drag them inside. Hermione was mad enough about missing a day of studying for the N.E.W.T.S; she was even madder when she saw Ron and Kate walking back together, and not screaming. They actually looked friendly. This was gonna be interesting.  
  
"Kate."  
  
"Hermione."  
  
Hermione gave Ron a look that clearly read, 'what the hell are you doing with her'? Ron just sighed.  
  
"Hermione, please try and get along with Kate. Please?"  
  
"Why should I? She used you, Ron; she never really cared about you."  
  
"And we've talked about that, haven't we, Kate?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Hermione? Can we forgive and forget?"  
  
Hermione looked perturbed; she didn't really trust Kate, but the other girl seemed to be upfront with her now.  
  
"I'll try, but if she isn't honest with us."  
  
"Hermione."  
  
"Look, I'll try to be as upfront as I can, but I can't promise anything. Deal?"  
  
"Fine, let's just get these trees down."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Back to Christmas Time  
  
The trees had been put in the hall, and Hermione had been trying to get along with Kate. They seemed to be doing better now that Ron and Kate weren't dating. Ron had also started to show an interest in Shannon, to Kate's delight. She could be found everywhere with Matt now, and was asking Ron when he was gonna finally ask her out. He had said he might ask her to the Christmas Ball, but only if Kate would stop bugging him. She agreed, and life had gone back to resembling normal.  
  
The portrait hole opened, and Harry watched as Ginny came in.  
  
"Good night, Draco."  
  
"I love you, Ginny." She gave him a quick kiss goodbye, and entered.  
  
"Oh, Harry! I didn't see you there. Is Hermione asleep already? Where's Ron?"  
  
"Yeah, she's asleep, and Ron's in his room."  
  
"Oh. 'Night, Harry."  
  
Harry watched as his best friend's little sister went upstairs. She was in love with a Malfoy. Life had indeed gone back to normal, at least for Hogwarts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	9. Purple Dresses and Pillow Talk

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Kate, they're still together."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Well, shouldn't we be trying to split them up?"  
  
"Whatever will be will be."  
  
"I hate it when you get so calm; it just isn't natural."  
  
"Shannon, shut up unless you want me to screw up your make up. Now close your eyes."  
  
Shannon did as she was told. Having Kate do her make up was a better choice than Dani or Nikki; they would do a good job, but with a lot more mindless chit chat. And all Shannon wanted to think about was her date.  
  
"So, Ron finally asked you?"  
  
Shannon grinned. "Yeah, he did."  
  
Kate rolled her clear blues eyes. "I was wondering how long it would take him. I mean, dear Lord, it's just a dance."  
  
"Hey! Don't say it like that! I think how long he took was sweet!"  
  
"You're a hopeless romantic, Quinn. And how many purple dresses do you have, exactly?" Shannon was in yet another purple dress; she seemed to have no end to her collection.  
  
"I have a lot of purple in my closet. I almost have as much purple as you do black."  
  
"Shaddup, black isn't the only color I wear. I have blue and green and white in my closet too."  
  
"Sure. Fine. Whatever. What's with the accent?"  
  
"I miss home. I really, really do. I miss the window decorations and lights on State Street and Michigan Avenue; and as strange as it sounds, I can't stand the thought of not being able to go to midnight Mass. The accent makes me think of home; it's a comfort thing."  
  
"Oh. Okay. You almost done with me?"  
  
"Yes, just gimme a second and we'll be ready to go."  
  
There was a knock on the door. "Shannon? Kate? You guys in here?"  
  
"Hey, Ron."  
  
Shannon realized that he was blushing. 'He's blushing; how cute is that?' Just then, Kate came barreling around the door.  
  
"Oh, hey, Ron. Did you see Matt down there?"  
  
"No, I didn't see him."  
  
"Thanks. Quinn, I think I'll go down stairs to wait. You two have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
"So, we can do just about everything?"  
  
"Shaddup. I'll see you down stairs then, and hurry."  
  
"Okay, bye, Kate."  
  
Shannon waited a second before turning to Ron.  
  
"So."  
  
"How many purple dresses do you have?" Ron blushed when Shannon laughed at his question. "What's so bloody funny about my question?"  
  
"Nothing, Ron, nothing, it's just that Kate pointed out the same thing right before you came in."  
  
"I'm not complaining, per se."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"I. I got you flowers."  
  
"Ron, that's sweet! Thank you."  
  
He held out his elbow to her, and Shannon linked her arm through it.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
Shannon nodded, and they headed down the Great Hall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Hall was decorated in purple and gold. Jon matched the decorations, with his solid purple suit and yellow tie, and peroxide blonde hair. He was already spinning, and Hermione was surprised as she registered the words.  
  
The way we get away Throw away a whole day Turn off the pagers and phones, We in a zone like Fuck life We live life This is our life Live your life 'Cause see, every time that I'm alone with you (with you) Shorty be checkin' up on you (on you) But if baby girl only knew (only knew) You gotta lotta freak in you ba-byyy.  
  
"Harry, what the hell is this?"  
  
She glanced over and realized that he couldn't hear her over the multiple speakers that were set up. She shook her head; if Dumbledore didn't have a problem with the music, why should she? This was a dance, and she was going to have fun. Harry was now standing behind her.  
  
"Come dance with me, Hermione."  
  
Before she could respond, Hermione found herself being dragged out on to the middle of the dance floor. As she looked around, she saw that none of the Americans had on dress robes. The guys were all in tuxes, and the girls in prom dresses. She smiled as saw Ron dancing with Shannon in his new black dress robes. They looked cute together; at least that was what Hermione thought. And she had warmed to Shannon in a way that she never would have warmed to Kate. She liked Shannon because she wasn't as loud as Kate; she made herself heard, but she wasn't as flippant as the redhead. Hermione thought that Shannon and Ron just FELT right, compared to Kate and Ron. The song had changed, and everyone was moving, faster, and faster, and faster.  
  
Give me just a second and I'll be alright Surely one more moment couldn't break my heart Give me 'til tomorrow than I'll be okay Just another day and then I'll hold you tight.  
  
Hermione felt Harry lead her farther and farther from the dance floor. The pair soon found themselves in an alcove on the far side of the hall, away from prying eyes.  
  
"Harry, aren't we supposed to be chaperoning?"  
  
"Who cares? We're 17, and we're at our Christmas ball. Can't we enjoy it?"  
  
"But."  
  
"Hermione just shut up for once and act your age."  
  
"What ever you want."  
  
Ron had to drag them out of the Great Hall when the ball ended.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
With nothing on my back, It's still enough to bring my down. My mind's about to crack, 'Cause what I thought could not be found. Matter of in fact, It's harder still when you're around. With nothing on my back, I can't help but drown.  
  
Jon had hit his punk rock, and was nearing the end of him musical selection. Kate watched as other students left the Hall and headed to the dorms, to either make out, or boink, or whatever. Kate grabbed Matt's sleeve.  
  
"C'mon, it's time to get out of here."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"The party's winding down; let's get out of here."  
  
"To where?"  
  
"The Astronomy Tower, the South Tower, wherever you wanna go."  
  
"And what would we be doing there?"  
  
"What every other student in this school would be doing."  
  
"Planning the demise of an evil organization?"  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny."  
  
"You had other things in mind?"  
  
"Well, what you said and other things."  
  
"Works for me; let's get the hell outta here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny stared at the ceiling of Draco's dorm in the dungeons. The weight of his arm felt good across her stomach, and she looked at him in the moonlight. Six foot tall, icy blonde hair and the blue gray eyes to match. Dear Lord, he was gorgeous. And Ginny had just had him. They had snuck away from the Ball an hour early, and had ended up in his bed, their clothes on the floor. She knew that she would be sore in the morning.  
  
Draco must have felt her eyes on him; he stirred, looked up at her, closed his eyes again, and spoke.  
  
"What is it, love?"  
  
"I'm just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About why you would want to be with me when you could have any girl in this school that you want."  
  
"Because I don't want them, I want you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why, do you regret it?"  
  
"No, not at all."  
  
She was lying through her teeth, and Draco knew that too. Damn him for being so smart.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"You asked for it."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"Draco, do you love me? Did you sleep with me because you love me, or did you sleep with me just to do it?"  
  
He sighed, rolled over, and kissed her just to get her to shut up.  
  
"Draco, love, that's wonderful, but you didn't answer my question. Do. You. Love. Me?"  
  
"Ginny, you know you mean more to me than my own life. You are the most important person, my everything. That's why I slept with you."  
  
Satisfied, Ginny kissed him, and then fell asleep next to her love.  
  
Draco sighed. Disaster averted.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	10. Aftermath

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ron. Ron, wake up!"  
  
"Huh? Why? What's going on?"  
  
"Get up. Do you realize who you're in bed with?"  
  
"Potter, as long as it isn't Hermione, and it is Shannon, why the hell do you care?"  
  
"Um, maybe because her brother is in the next bed over, and if he wakes up, we will have a repeat of the hallway."  
  
Ron was awake instantaneously. "You've got to be shitting me." He sat up, and looked at the bed across from the one he was in. Tufts of red and brown hair greeted him in response. "CRAP! Harry, why the hell didn't you wake me up earlier?! Shannon! Shannon, love, wake up!" Ron shook the brunet next to him. "Come on, come on, love, wake up!"  
  
She sat up with a start. "Ron, I am hung over, and have now been rudely awakened. What the hell is so goddamned important to wake me up this early on a Saturday?" Shannon was looking rather perturbed; Ron tried to get his point across by pointing.  
  
"What the hell does that mean? And what the hell is Harry doing here.?" Just as she turned her eyes on Harry, Ron grabbed her head, and turned it in the direction of Kate, who was waking.  
  
"Oh, shit."  
  
The redhead was dressed in a loosed top, and stretched before she opened her eyes.  
  
"Oh, hey Shannon, Ron, Harry. How'd y'all sleep?"  
  
Harry's green eyes looked puzzled behind his glasses. "Fine. um, Kate?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You realize that this is your ex and your friend in the same bed, right?"  
  
"No shit, Potter. Lemme borrow your glasses and see for myself." Kate received another look; Shannon seemed to be struggling with laughter, and Ron looked like he needed four more good hours of sleep. "Harry, I was kidding. I see that Ron and Shannon are in the same bed. Shannon, did you let the boy sleep at all? He has bags under his eyes! What were you two up to last night, hm?"  
  
"Kate! I could ask you the same damn thing! And you're with my brother! I think I could be nastier about that."  
  
"Jesus Christ, Quinn, it was a joke. Remember to breathe," Kate sighed. "We've only been in cheery England for five months, and you've already lost the little sense of humor you had."  
  
"I have a fine sense of humor, thank you very much. Now explain what the hell is going on."  
  
"You first."  
  
"I asked you."  
  
"Me. Your brother. Us. Dating. You know, what people do to before they get married? Sharing personal space comes with the job description."  
  
"Space, not beds."  
  
"Shannon, grow up. Do either of us look undressed to you?" Kate pulled back the bedcovers, revealing her pajama bottoms, and Matt, also in pajama bottoms. "See, nothing going on here. Do I dare ask you?"  
  
Shannon rolled her eyes and got out of bed. She too wore pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. "Same. See, I told you so."  
  
"How old are we now, Quinn, three?"  
  
"Shaddup, Morgan. Now, help me get him out of here," she whispered, motioning to Ron.  
  
"But it could be so much damn fun if I just reached over and wake Matt up."  
  
"Kate, don't you dare."  
  
But it was too late. His eyes were fluttering beneath the lids; he was waking.  
  
"Ron, just get up and run!"  
  
As he went to do just that, Matt's eyes opened, and he sat up in bed. His eyes landed on Ron, half sitting on the bed, half ready to bolt for the door. "Weasley, why the fuck are you in my sister's room?"  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Matt stayed in the Gryffindor dorms all that day. He played cards with Harry, and drilled Ron about his intentions as to his sister. When he had cleared Ron as acceptable, he went looking for Kate. He didn't find her until he went down to his own dorm and got his broomstick. She was sitting on the roof of Gryffindor Tower, right above her window. He landed and went to sit next to her.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey yourself."  
  
"Have you given them their letters yet?"  
  
Kate shifted, and looked out. He saw that she had a bag of David ranch flavored sunflower seeds next to her; she was spitting them off the edge of the roof and onto the front lawn. He reached over her and put them in between them. She shot him a dirty look.  
  
"Didn't your mother teach you to share?"  
  
Kate ignored his question. "I don't like this. We've never accepted foreigners into the order. Then hidden agendas become involved, and."  
  
"Kate, Victoria's talked to us about this."  
  
"I know."  
  
The conversation faded off into silence. Matt gazed over at Kate. She had on an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants reading "Americana War Hawks" to fend off the cold. She was going to be sick. Matt told her so.  
  
"Relax. I have layers on."  
  
"But still."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
He took a small handful of seeds into his mouth and began to eat.  
  
"So."  
  
"Back to the hidden agendas."  
  
"Kate, we're talking about Harry fucking Potter here."  
  
"And his best friend, and girlfriend, and his best friend's little sister who is destined to become the queen of all evil." She went off into her own little world. "The kind that hates everything good and fuzzy and kind on the face of the earth. The kind that tortures little bunnies for fun. "She looked him in the eye for the first time since he got on to the roof. "Where does it all end?"  
  
He sighed. "I don't know. I have no fucking clue. But either way, you need to give them those letters."  
  
She kept her eyes forward, still spitting seeds. "Yeah, so what? Maybe I don't give them the letters. Maybe we can take out Voldemort ourselves. Maybe we don't really need them."  
  
"Come on, Kate! You know that that's a load of bull! You know we need Potter and the rest."  
  
Kate sighed again in resignation.  
  
"Sure. Fine. Whatever. Send me Hermione first. I need to talk to her before hand."  
  
"What ever you want."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione poked her head out the window of the seventh year girl's dorms and looked at Kate. She needed to speak with her, she said, and as Head Girl, she needed to answer.  
  
"Kate, what do you need?"  
  
"Come here, will you, Hermione?"  
  
"Can't we do this inside?"  
  
"I'd prefer out here."  
  
"Fine." Hermione grabbed her pea coat and managed to get herself onto the roof. "What is it?"  
  
"You hate me. Why is that?"  
  
Hermione stood and looked down at the redhead. How ludicrous was this? She, Hermione, Head Girl of Hogwarts, was on the roof of her dorm, being asked to explain why she hated someone.  
  
"Is this really necessary?"  
  
"It is if you want in to Americana for college. Or you can stay here, in England; it's your choice."  
  
For the first time, Hermione saw letters lying next to Kate on the roof. There was a pretty strong wind out here; they could fall off.  
  
"Don't worry, I've charmed them. They won't be falling or flying anywhere." Hermione gave her a shocked look. Could she read minds.?  
  
"No, I can't. I saw you look at the letters is all. Now sit."  
  
Hermione complied with the order. What did she have to say? Surely, it couldn't hurt to at least listen.  
  
"Now, I believe I asked you a question. Why do you hate me? Is it because I dated Ron, or that I act, or what?"  
  
"I. I. damn it! You're too damn perfect! It's not natural!"  
  
"Like getting straight A's and being ahead of everyone else in your class by a gazillion points is." Kate smiled to tell Hermione that it was just a tease.  
  
"That's not the same thing!"  
  
"Hermione Granger, you know damn well that it's the exact same thing!"  
  
Hermione grumbled and stared out at the wide, sweeping lawns of her school, her home away from home for seven years. The best seven years of her life, which had lead her to Harry, and everything else she loved. But now came a decision. She could lose the chance to go to the magical college of her dreams if she pissed off this moody American actress.  
  
"Well. you dating Ron did upset me. He's one of my best friends; I didn't want to see him hurt."  
  
"Looks like I followed through on that one."  
  
Hermione decided to take the blunt route. "Yes, you certainly did. And then a hall fight started because your idiot friend, Benny, couldn't keep his fists to himself. I was up all night cleaning cuts and bruises."  
  
"Hey, hey! That's sooo not fair! You attacked me first! What the hell did you think I would do, stand there and take it? Hell no! Honey, I've survived nights on Chicago's far South Side, I know how to deal with a street fight."  
  
"And that's another thing about you that annoys me! You seem to know EVERYTHING! You have just this general knowledge, and it pisses me off that you can always come out smelling like the proverbial rose! It just pisses me off!"  
  
"And with everything you and Harry and Ron have done, you don't think that you've gotten away with the impossible?"  
  
"I won't win this argument, will I?"  
  
"Nope. You can never win a fight with a Virgo woman!"  
  
"Then maybe we should be arguing a bit more. My birthday's September 19."  
  
"September 1. let's call it a truce, okay?"  
  
"Sure, fine. But what else did you need?"  
  
"I'll get to that. But can we at least act like human beings around each other. It's bad enough I get catty looks from the students at Americana; I don't need them form Hogwarts students too."  
  
"Fine. But you know why you get all those catty looks?"  
  
"Enlighten me." Kate was staring out at the now setting sun. She looked as though she'd rather be out here with Matt, watching the sunset instead of talking to Hermione.  
  
"It's because of all the guys you're always with. People figure that they all want you; then girls get pissed. That's another thing. I didn't like you talking to Harry so much!"  
  
"Oh. Sorry. But that leads into what I'm gonna tell you. You have been accepted into The Americana University of Sorcery. To be more precise, you, Harry, and Ron have been accepted." She paused to let the news sink in. "But, that comes with a cost."  
  
"What cost."  
  
"That's the thing; I cannot tell you until you commit to our school. If you don't, we throw out your documentation, and you never hear from us again. If you make a good impression and the administration finds you trustworthy, they just may forgo the memory charms; if not, you'll never remember meeting me, unless we somehow meet again. Do you accept these terms?"  
  
Hermione sighed. Big, big decision coming up. A little voice sounded in the back of her head. 'Take the leap. Do it. Don't miss the chance.'  
  
"Yes, I accept the terms."  
  
"Very well. Just remember, you asked for what you're getting."  
  
Kate proceeded to tell a story that made Hermione's jaw drop. And considering all that Hermione had seen for the past seven years, that was a damn hard thing to do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: And the plot thickens! What exactly is going on? What are these terms? Gotta read the next installment to figure it out. 


	11. Los Defensores de La Paz

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry and Hermione ran down the halls of Hogwarts; they were late for a meeting with Professor McGonagall. Kate had called Harry and Ron up to the roof and told them the same story she told her. Their jaws had dropped as well, as Kate spun a story so out there that even students of one of the worlds most eccentric wizarding schools couldn't believe it. She told them a story of a prophecy, and eight people meant to stop it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Flashback to 3 hours ago  
  
"Alright, Kate, why'd you call us up here?"  
  
"To talk to you."  
  
"I, for one, am impressed. You and Hermione are up here together and I see no blood. Good for you."  
  
"Shut up, Ron. This is serious."  
  
Harry looked her in the eye. "Why? What's so serious?"  
  
Kate wouldn't meet anyone's eye; Hermione took it upon herself to explain. She started the way Kate had started with her. "We've been accepted to Americana. But there are certain conditions of us being accepted."  
  
Harry and Ron's eyes flashed; they were not willing to agree to terms before they heard everything. Harry took a wild guess and looked to his girlfriend.  
  
"Did Kate already tell you all about these conditions, Hermione?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you agree to them?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hermione, you dug us into a hole then. Kate knows that we aren't going to say no if you've already said yes."  
  
"Harry."  
  
"Hermione, she's using you to get us to go to her school! She's using you!"  
  
"I resent that! I have never just used anybody!"  
  
"Harry, you know that I want to go to this school more than anything!"  
  
"But agreeing to whatever terms they set down is not the way to get in!"  
  
"Harry, just hear her out, please! Listen to what she has to say; it has to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."  
  
She had is full attention. Kate took over for her.  
  
"Let's start from the beginning. Do you know who will take over for Voldemort, in the event that he dies?"  
  
The Trio looked at each other; Harry was silently agreed to answer for all.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy."  
  
"Correct in one. Now, tell me, what would happen if the elder Malfoy died? Who would take over then?"  
  
"The next highest Death Eater?"  
  
Kate shook her head. "I hate such high hopes for you to, Harry, but you're wrong. Lucius' eldest child would take over."  
  
"Malfoy? DRACO Malfoy would take over?"  
  
"Yes, our darling Draco. They pass the position down father to son. Lucius' father held it, then he died, so it's been passed to him; Draco's next."  
  
Ron looked alarmed. "My sister's dating him!"  
  
"Which brings me to the second part of the prophecy."  
  
"What the hell do you mean by 'second part' of the 'prophecy'?"  
  
Kate didn't look too sure of herself at this part. Her mind was racing; how upset would they be to hear this?  
  
"Think stereotypes; in a normal prophecy, there's the evil takes over, then."  
  
"Then evil children being born."  
  
"Okay, so far, so good. Now, how would typically be the mother of said Spawn of Satan?"  
  
"Um. someone tragic. a friend of the hero, someone who loves him, but has been scorned by him as well."  
  
"Fit the description of anyone you know, Harry?"  
  
Harry looked confused. "Not that I know."  
  
"My sister." Ron had gone pale, and was sweating. "That would fit my sister."  
  
Kate nodded. "Yes, Ron, your sister fits the description pretty damn well. Harry, while she did love you, she doesn't anymore; history has begun to prove the prophecy. Little Ginny Weasley has fallen in love with the enemy. But, surely, we won't just let this happen. Come on, you three; tell me what else needs to happen. And cheesy Hollywood type endings are allowed."  
  
"There's a group set out to stop them."  
  
Hermione picked up Ron's lead. ". people we wouldn't expect."  
  
Harry finished. ". people right under our noses."  
  
Kate smiled a strange smile, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a silver ring. A red ruby glinted at them, with the words "Defensores de la Paz" inscribed around it. On one side was a hawk, and on the other was a broadsword, with three stars on either side surrounded by olive leaves. If they hadn't looked closely at it, Harry, Hermione and Ron would have thought it nothing more than an ordinary class ring.  
  
"May I see it?" Kate handed Hermione her ring. "Defensores de la Paz. defenders of the peace?"  
  
Kate smiled an approving smile. "Very good. Do you speak Spanish?"  
  
"No, but I know a little bit of French. One Latin based language isn't that far off from the other. What is this ring for?"  
  
"Well, let's just say that you'll see about 40 of these rings on the hands of visiting students."  
  
Harry, how had taken the ring from Hermione, looked up at the American. "You're telling us that Americana students are the ones responsible for keeping Voldemort at bay?"  
  
"A select few, yes."  
  
"We're doomed."  
  
"Ronald Weasley, I don't think having three British teenagers standing between me and Voldemort would make me comfortable. You three haven't been trained; at Americana, they select us by ability and potential to learn. Then we're grouped by our specialties. Some excel at languages; they're placed in the International branch. Some are better with numbers, so they calculate data for our special ops agents. There are eight that excel at all of the areas. They call them the Elite Eight."  
  
"Are they here?"  
  
"What do you think, Harry?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And why do you think that?" Kate had adapted a patronizing tone. Harry played along.  
  
"Because Voldemort is involved. Who are they?"  
  
"Well, figure it out for yourself. I'll help you; how many Americana students are in each house?"  
  
"Ten."  
  
"Okay. Now, I'll tell you that there're two in each house."  
  
"Fine, Kate, but who the bloody hell are they?!" Ron was getting frustrated.  
  
"Guess. You've met all of them. Shannon and I talked about them at the welcoming feast."  
  
They all rolled their eyes. No way in hell could they remember that far back. Well, except for Hermione.  
  
"Um. Nikola?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Lauren?"  
  
"Two for two."  
  
"Dani?"  
  
"Sí, señorita. Keep going."  
  
"Jarrod, Matt, and. Benny?"  
  
"Very good. But you're missing two."  
  
Harry piped up. "Lauren and Benny are in Slytherin."  
  
". Jarrod and Matt are in Ravenclaw." Ron mentioned.  
  
". And Dani and Nikola are in Hufflepuff." Hermione seemed puzzled.  
  
"That means we're missing the Gryffindors."  
  
"Good job, Harry. Now, who on earth could they be?"  
  
The Trio glanced at each other; none of them knew.  
  
"Jesus Christ, I feel like I'm on Sesame Street. Do I really need to spell it out for you three? Hermione, what did you say I have that pissed you off?"  
  
"Too much general knowledge." Her eyes lit up. "Oh Lord, that's it, isn't it? You're one of them."  
  
"Yes I am. I'm just adding to the too perfect image, aren't I?"  
  
Hermione smiled at the allusion to their earlier conversation. "Yes, you are. But who is the other one?"  
  
"Well. Ron's well acquainted with her."  
  
"SHANNON?!?!?! Sweet, innocent little Shannon is involved with this?"  
  
"She has a knack with numbers, and the French language."  
  
"Oh." Hermione wasn't that shocked; in fact, none of them were. Kate wasn't surprised. Hermione looked back up at her, a question in her eyes. "Is that why the school wants their students to study a foreign language?"  
  
Kate laughed. "Yes, they do it to test our aptitude for language arts. 75% of the school doesn't know about the organization."  
  
Harry cleared his throat. "Are those the terms?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Joining this organization. Are those the terms of attending the school?"  
  
"Yes." Kate saw a weird look on all three faces. "You will be fighting evil, namely Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And you'll get paid, with full room and board. Will you accept?"  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other, and then answered one at a time.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Very well. Let's take this inside. I'll gather the others and we'll get you caught up."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	12. The Begining of the End?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, would you care to explain your tardiness?"  
  
Harry was tempted to find out how far he could push McGonagall. but thankfully, Hermione jumped in.  
  
"We were speaking to Kate Morgan. she and I haven't been getting along, but we're working out our. differences."  
  
Harry snorted and muttered, "You can say that again."  
  
"What was that, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all, Professor."  
  
"Very well. How are the Americana students getting along? It's been a few months, and there don't seem to be any complaints, but I was wondering if you'd heard anything."  
  
Hermione looked at Harry. To tell or not to tell, that is the question. "No, we haven't heard anything, Professor, why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, most of the Slytherins seem to have a problem with the Americans, even the ones in that were sorted into the same house." McGonagall flipped through a file folder. "And Ginny Weasley filed a complaint about Ms. Morgan. I thought those two got along?"  
  
Shit. Harry's eyes flashed at hearing about Ginny's complaint. But what the hell was he supposed to do. He couldn't just say, "Well, you see Professor, Kate and the rest of the Americana students belong to a secret society, and Ron, Hermione and I have been invited into it. They're here to screw over Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and since Ginny's dating the one guy who takes over if it all goes to hell, problems are bound to crop up."  
  
Hermione must have seen the look in his eyes. "Ginny was upset when Kate and Ron broke up. but she okay with her now."  
  
McGonagall nodded. "Thank you, Harry, Hermione. That's all I needed to know. You're dismissed."  
  
She watched as the newest Head Boy and Girl left her office. She sighed, and turned as Dumbledore came out of hiding. The ever present glitter in his eyes made her want to slap the look off his face.  
  
"Do you think they're lying?"  
  
"My dear Professor McGonagall, you know as well as I do that they were lying through their teeth. The Americans are up to something, along with Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger, and Mr. Weasley too, if everything is normal. And all we can do is to wait for it to happen."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shannon sat in the common room with Ron.  
  
"So Kate finally told you?"  
  
"Yeah, she did."  
  
"Do you have a ring too?"  
  
Shannon almost laughed. "Is that all you can come up with? No other questions?"  
  
Ron went red. Shannon stopped laughing, and then showed him her right ring finger. "Yes, I do. There it is."  
  
And there it was, the same as Kate's, "Defensores de la Paz" inscribed around a ruby, with the hawk and sword and olive leaves. Ron gulped.  
  
"Shannon, why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"Ron, what did you want me to do? Just come out and say, 'Ron, sweetie, me, my brother, your ex-girlfriend, and the rest of us are here on a mission to kick an evil organization's ass?' We Americans may have a reputation for being crass, but we do know how to keep secrets. And we value our lives."  
  
"What? Is you're being here really that dangerous?"  
  
"No, but a pissed off Kate is. And she would have been pissed if anyone told you guys before her; she's the unofficial leader, even though she relies on all of us. She knows her strengths and weaknesses, and how far she can push it before any of us snap. Yea, Voldemort's a minimal thing if you've ever been in the same room with a pissed off Kate."  
  
Shannon was smiling into the fire when she was done. Ron looked down at her, admiring the way the fire flashed across her face. He leaned closer and brushed a strand of wavy hair out of her eyes. It was only then that he saw the sad look in them.  
  
"Love, what's wrong?" He gave her a small peck on the cheek for reassurance. He didn't want to see her sad; he didn't like to see her sad.  
  
"We grew up too fast. too damn fast. Ron, do you know what Kate, Dani, Nikola, Lauren and I talked about before we went to bed when we first started at Americana?" Ron shook his head. "We would talk about normal teenage girl stuff. We would talk about who was dating who, makeup, that girl in our lunch period that we hated, our teachers, who we would marry." She looked him in the eyes to get the next point across. "Now, now we give hugs and kisses before we go to bed each night, and we say we're sorry for any wrongs we've caused. We tell each other that we love each other and the boys each and every night, and that we'll love each other no matter what we say or what happens." Tear were streaming steadily down her face at this point. "We have to. in case anything happens and we have to run off in the middle of the night, and it all goes to hell. We don't sleep in on the weekends; we go out together instead. God, Ron, this life is so precious. And we have to protect it. We can't worry about what we'll wear to the party, or petty things. We have to worry about the rest of the fucking world!"  
  
Ron's eyes snapped to her's; Shannon almost NEVER swore, and when she did, 'fuck' simply wasn't part of her vocabulary. He kissed her again.  
  
"Let's go to bed. Say your I love yous, and then let's go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."  
  
Shannon nodded her consent.  
  
The clock struck midnight as the headed up the staircase.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny ran after Draco, through the dungeons, the Slytherin common room, and finally, into his bedroom. They lay on his bed, trading kisses, until it got too aggravating for both, and they slid under the covers. A soft touch here, a shift of position that way. it was all so very family to both, yet oh so new every single time.  
  
She heard the school clock strike twelve.  
  
Another late night in Draco's dorm. Good Lord, she felt ill. She leaned over her beau and gave him a soft shove in the side.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need to get to the bathroom."  
  
"Can't you just ignore it and go to sleep, Ginny?"  
  
"Not unless you want vomit in your bed."  
  
Both of Draco's eyes snapped open and set their sites on Ginny's. "What did you say?"  
  
"I feel sick. Now move your lazy ass before I throw up on you."  
  
He got out of her way and watched her make her way across his dorm. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his boxers, and waited for her to come out. When she made her appearance, she sat down on his lap and leaned against him.  
  
"How long have you been feeling sick?"  
  
"A little over a month."  
  
"Oh. Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I didn't want you to worry. Let's just sleep. I'm too tired to talk."  
  
"Okay. Lie down and close your eyes; I need to use the little boy's room before I come back to bed."  
  
Ginny nodded, lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes. She looked so peaceful, she almost made Draco smile.  
  
He wandered into the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. He filled the sink up with cold water, put the stopper in place, and searched under the bathroom cabinet for what looked like sparkly baby powder. His father had given it to him, as a means of communicating with home that would be less obvious than his eagle owl. He dropped a pinch into the water and waited for the picture to develop.  
  
His father looked pissed and half asleep when he first appeared.  
  
"Draco, this had better be damn good, or I'll cut you off, I swear to God."  
  
"Ginny's feeling ill."  
  
"And the point is?"  
  
"She hasn't been feeling well for over a month, and no epidemic is going around. It's time."  
  
"Fine. Have her go to the Hospital Wing; I don't care how you do it, just get her there. If she's pregnant, then we'll act. I'll inform the Dark Lord of this. Good night, Draco."  
  
"Good night, Father."  
  
Draco looked at his watch as he laid down to sleep; it was 12:24.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
16 eyes opened wide only to be greeted by darkness; all 16 looked to their bedside tables and saw that the time was 12:24. In the Ravenclaw tower, two of them sat in the same bed, looking very, very nervous.  
  
"Matt, it's happened."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Oh, Lord, it's happened."  
  
"That's been established."  
  
"Shit, Matt, we're fucked!" Kate jumped out of bed and started to pull on her jeans and a sweater.  
  
"Well, I would have thought we were fu."  
  
"Matthew Quinnlin, if you value your life and your balls, you'll get out of bed, get dressed, and help me round up the others.  
  
"Yes ma'am. Isn't that MY sweater?" He eyed the sweater Kate had thrown on.  
  
"It's the first thing I found to put on; unless you'd rather have me walk topless in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts." She went to the mirror and put her up. Matt came up behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"You're lucky I like you, you know that Morgan?"  
  
Kate's eyes met his in the mirror, and she smiled. This was normal; this is what she wanted all along. And as nice as this was, it had no place in the life of an actress/ student/ short term secret agent with the H.C.  
  
"I know; I'm very, very lucky that you like me." She leaned back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Let's get going. I'll go get them out of Gryffindor, you head over to Slytherin, and we'll meet you at Hufflepuff. 'Kay?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
They stood there for a few more moments.  
  
"The point of me giving directions was for us to follow them, Matt."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why aren't we moving?"  
  
"Because this is nice."  
  
"Okay, but we need to go."  
  
Matt sighed. "When are we not on the go?"  
  
Kate only shrugged. "Love you. I'll see you at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, okay?"  
  
"Okay. Love you too."  
  
With that, they left the room to go find the others. Their work was just beginning.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	13. Rock A Bye Baby

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kate and Matt managed to get all eleven of them up to the South Tower with out waking up any teachers, or wandering into Peeves. It was a miracle. Although Benny was eyeing Harry, Hermione, and Ron in a peculiar manner; Kate went and headed off the disaster before it could start.  
  
"Benny, not now. No male, egotistical bullshit. Shut up and listen; no bitching."  
  
"Who the hell said I was gonna bitch?"  
  
"Spattz, I know you too damn well. I can read you like a book."  
  
"When did you learn how to read?"  
  
"Bite me, Benny."  
  
"Bend over."  
  
Kate just stuck her tongue out at him. "You know you love me."  
  
Benny snapped his fingers. "Damn it! When did I become so transparent? Quick, when Dani and Matt turn around, I'll call my broomstick, we'll jump the wall, take off, and they won't be any the wiser."  
  
They started to laugh. Hermione watched the two. There was nothing sexual there to be seen, just friendship. It was what she and Harry had had before they kissed. It had been fun, just being friends, but she liked the now better. The now meant kisses and hugs, and no more tension between herself and Harry. Kate and Benny had stopped laughing, and they started.  
  
"First order of business; it's happened people."  
  
"No shit; I thought I was pulled out of a dreamless sleep because."  
  
"Ben, don't finish that sentence."  
  
"Really, Jarrod? What the hell are you gonna do to me? We're fucked no matter what; either way we've made more work for ourselves by letting it happen."  
  
Ron had been unusually quiet, but had finally spoken up. "What the hell are you talking about? What's going on? I think we have a right to know!"  
  
The silence became strangely uncomfortable. None of the Americans were willing to answer Ron's question. Harry decided to get in on the action.  
  
"Well? Kate, tell us what's going on! You dragged us into this, and you damn well better tell us what we're getting into."  
  
Kate blushed. "Well. Um. It's kinda a long story."  
  
Benny chose a less tactful way to say it. "Ron's little sister is Malfoy's whore, and now she's pregnant, and about to give birth to what is quite literally the spawn of Satan." He turned to Kate. "Does that about cover it, or do you have more to add?"  
  
"No. Great job, Benny. Remind me to castrate you later. And if you'd remember the rusty butter knife, I'll bring your tetanus booster."  
  
But Ron had gone pale. He was gasping for breathe, and couldn't seem to stand straight. Shannon had to help him lean against the tower wall, but his legs were too weak; his knees gave out, and he slid down the wall to sit.  
  
Hermione turned to Kate. "Kate, tell me he's kidding. Tell me he's bullshitting us, and that Ginny Weasley is NOT pregnant with Draco Malfoy's baby! Damn it, Kate, look me in the eyes." Kate did as was asked of her. "Morgan, what are you looking at me like that for? Oh, fuck. You're serious. Ginny's pregnant." Hermione went and sat next to Ron.  
  
The Americans stood looking at the Brits, who were all now leaning against the same side of the tower. The wind blowing across the ledge above them was making their hair dance and jump. Harry and Hermione were watching Ron with anxious looks on their faces. He seemed to snap out of it though, threatening death on Draco, and promising Ginny a good thrashing.  
  
"I'll kill them; I swear to God. I'll kill Malfoy first, and then I'll smack Ginny and ask her what the hell she was thinking, sleeping with a Malfoy. Dear Lord, dating him is one thing, but I can't believe that my little sister, little straight-A's Ginny slept with him!" Ron was getting to his feet, and was getting angry as well. "That child will not be tolerated in our family's house! I will NOT tolerate it! Either she'll go, or that child will!" Ron looked ready to kick down every door between him and his little sister. Kate headed him off.  
  
"Ron, don't do that. You know that Ginny will just kick you in the balls and ignore you forever if you go see her now."  
  
"Besides," Shannon jumped in, "Ginny doesn't even know."  
  
Kate smiled a sad smile at her friend. "Shannon's right, you know. Ginny won't find out until Draco gets her to the Hospital wing. Then she'll know. And if you go charging in there, wand drawn, ready to kill Draco, she won't listen. She'll follow Draco and accept all he has to offer her. God knows that she's always been susceptible to the Dark Side. All Draco needs to do is make the suggestion, and then we make our play." Kate gazed around the room. "Good. Then we know what we need to do. Goodnight then, and Ron, remember to keep your temper in control when Ginny tells you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
10:30, Saturday Morning Hospital Wing  
  
"Um, Madame Pomfrey? Are you in here?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey came out from the back of the Hospital Wing, wiping her hands on her apron.  
  
"What do you need, Ms. Weasley?"  
  
"I need to speak with you. I've been. a bit under the weather lately."  
  
Poppy just nodded. "Very well. Just sit down, and I'll get you checked out." She came back a few moments later with a clipboard. "Now, what exactly is wrong with you?"  
  
"Well, I'm sick all the time. And not just a fever and the sniffles. I'm throwing up. And I can't even eat my favorite foods anymore. And it doesn't seem to me that it's because of changing tastes. Eating them makes me throw up. I can barely keep anything down!"  
  
Ginny stopped talking and watch Madame Pomfrey go over her notes.  
  
"Ms. Weasley, have you missed your. menstrual cycle?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Have you missed your period, Virginia?"  
  
Ginny screwed up her face in consideration. "Now that you mention it, my period is a week late."  
  
"Who was your last sexual partner?"  
  
"My boyfriend."  
  
Poppy rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, but who are you dating, Virginia?"  
  
Ginny wished she'd stop calling her Virginia. Only her parents did that. Oh God. Her parents. If she really was pregnant, what the hell would her parents say? Or her brothers? Would they disown her? Oh shit!  
  
"Virginia, you should probably tell him that you may be pregnant."  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"I have a test I can give you, and when the results come back, you can tell."  
  
"Draco. I'm dating Draco Malfoy."  
  
Poppy's eyes nearly popped out of her head, and she almost swallowed her tongue. A Weasley dating a Malfoy. That was a new one. She just managed to keep herself under control and said, "Very well then. I'll bring you parchment and a quill, and you can ask Mr. Malfoy to come up."  
  
Ginny nodded, and took the parchment and quill from Madame Pomfrey, and began to write. By the time she was done, Poppy had come back with a school owl, to whom Ginny attached the note, and sent on its way.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kate, Shannon, Benny, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the others were sitting at the Gryffindor table that morning at breakfast.  
  
"Benny, goddamn it, go eat all the food at your own house's table! I friggin' wanted some of that bacon, you asshole!"  
  
"Shut the hell up, Chris. I haven't had coffee for the five fucking months we've been in England, and I really don't think you want to piss me off before noon."  
  
"Boys, boys, just ask the house elves. They'll get you more bacon, and they'll get you your coffee."  
  
Together, both of them looked at Kate and snapped, "Fuck off, Kate."  
  
"Jesus Christ, never mind then." Kate went back to crunching on her cereal while she watched Harry and Hermione cuddle, and Ron and Shannon kiss.  
  
"Dear Lord, do I really need to watch my little sister make out with her boyfriend at the breakfast table? Will somebody get them a goddamn room?"  
  
"Matt, shut up and sit down," Kate said, pulling him down next to her. "I think she can handle herself."  
  
Breakfast went on like that, with the Americans taking what they called "pot shots" at each other. From what Harry could see, they were doing nothing more than teasing each other. But before he could say something, Kate tugged on Matt and Benny's sleeves and nodded in Draco Malfoy's direction.  
  
"Dear old Draco just got an owl, but the post came twenty minutes ago," she whispered, checking her watch. "I think this is it guys, let's do this."  
  
They all stopped eating, got up, and proceeded to follow Draco out of the Great Hall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You! You did this to me, you fucking asshole!"  
  
Draco was greeted by the shrieks of his girlfriend when he stepped into the Hospital Wing. He noticed that Madame Pomfrey had made herself scarce.  
  
Draco did his best to look confused, even though he knew what was coming. He must have done a half decent job, because Ginny's angry face lost its edge. "What is it, love?" he asked in his best, I'm worried voice.  
  
"Draco, Draco, I.I'm. we're." she was struggling for words. "Draco, what I'm trying to say is. is that we're pregnant. Draco, answer me. Don't just look at me like that. Tell me what you're thinking, please."  
  
'I've got her where I want her,' Draco thought to himself. "Oh my God," he said sitting down. "Are you sure?" 'Now light up your eyes, Draco, look thrilled, not evil or conniving', he coached himself.  
  
Ginny nodded and handed him the test results. "We are Draco. I'm going to have a baby. Your baby." There were tears in her eyes. Draco pulled her close to him, and gave her a kiss.  
  
"I'm forever yours, Ginny. I was then, and am now. Ginny?"  
  
"Yes, Draco."  
  
"Marry me."  
  
"Draco, I'm not going to marry you just so you can think you did the right thing."  
  
"It wasn't a request, it was a command. You're carrying my child, correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you want to put it up for adoption, or not keep it?"  
  
Ginny became offended at the implications in his voice. "Draco Malfoy, I helped to create this baby and I will keep it! I'll raise it on my own if I have to!" Ginny pulled away from him, and walked to the door.  
  
"Fine. We're decided on that. But the school won't allow you to stay pregnant. And I don't think your parents would help much if they knew it was my child. Virginia, I'm taking responsibility for this. Marry me. I graduate this year, my father can get me a high paying job. What do you say?"  
  
"Your father, the former Death Eater, willing help me and our child? Does he even know about me Draco? Or am I another one of your whores that mummy and daddy don't know dear little Draco is shagging?" she spat the venomous words at him.  
  
"Ginny, enough! Marry me, please, and let me help you! I can get a good job, I can keep our child in clean clothes, diapers, and I can pay for a tutor for you so you can finish your education. You won't lose anything, Ginny; in fact, you'll gain a family of your own, and so much more. Ginny, I can take you to Paris, or any place else that you want if you marry me. I can protect you. please, Ginny, please say yes."  
  
She turned to him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. "I'll marry you, Draco. Yes. My answer is yes."  
  
Draco pulled her into a hug, just before Ron, followed by Harry, Hermione and the others came in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ron, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Ginny, someone told us you were up here. What's wrong?"  
  
Ginny cleared her throat. "Draco, can you leave us alone? You guys too," she asked, looking back at Kate, Shannon and the others. Draco left, but the Americans mad no move to leave.  
  
"Ginny, just tell me." Ron pulled her to a far corner of the room. They could hear him soon after Ginny spoke.  
  
"GINNY! How fucking stupid can you be?! You shagged Draco Malfoy and didn't use a contraception spell? My God, Ginny! You know how many brothers we have! The chances of us have children by accident is much more likely than anyone else!"  
  
"Ron, please, please calm down! Just please, Ron, don't tell! Mom and dad, or anyone else CAN'T find out! They'll kill me! And Draco, please, for my sake, and Draco's, don't tell!"  
  
"Ginny, you've done nothing to convince me! I kept my mouth shut when you started to date that bastard Malfoy, but mom and dad need to know about this! They have a right to know that their daughter, their YOUNGEST CHILD is about to give them their first grandchild! And Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George have a right to know about their niece, or nephew, or what not! And are you going to marry him, or what? He better take care of you, Ginny! I'm already pissed enough to beat the shit out of him!"  
  
Benny heard "beat the shit out of him" and decided that now would be a good time to jump in.  
  
"I'll be more than happy to help!"  
  
He was immediately chastised by a chorus of "Benny, not now!"  
  
"Ron, I'm marring Draco," Ginny stated when she had calmed down. "Owl Mom, Dad, and whoever else you want, but I'm going through with this. I'm going to be responsible, and marry him for he sake of this, our child."  
  
With that, she stormed out, and slammed to door to the Hospital Wing. Ron turned to the others.  
  
"Well, I guess that settles it. We're officially fucked."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	14. Quidditch Final

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You know what, Matt?"  
  
"What, Kate?"  
  
"I say, or I hear anyone else say 'We're fucked' for the duration of this trip, I may loose my mind." She smiled, taking a sip of butterbeer and relaxing into the overstuffed couch in front of the fire. "Alex is right. I need to stop swearing." She moved closer to him. "How long has it been since you've stayed in your own house's dorm?"  
  
"Awhile."  
  
"You know that if you stay here any longer, I'll have the whole of us in here."  
  
Matt laughed. "That would be a problem?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Have you ever slept anywhere NEAR Benny? The boy snores like a mack truck!" She giggled. "Whoever thought that the supposed saviors of the free world would be people like us? I mean, think about it. There's me, the actress, Dani the singer, Nikola the friggin' interior decorator, Jarrod, the future developer of the commercial hover car, or some other wonder of the future, your sister, who of all things wants to be as normal as a teacher, Benny, who will make it in the major leagues, and Lauren, Ms. Pediatric Oncologist. But what about you, Matt? What are you gonna be? Of all of us, I should be, I am closest to you, but I don't know what your dreams are. I know ours, but not yours."  
  
"You're talking like a drunk on Waveland, fresh off the bleachers. I'm starting to wonder what you've been drinking, other than butterbeer."  
  
Kate stuck her tongue out.  
  
"Rather undignified for an actress, don't you think?"  
  
"See, Matt, that's what I mean! Do you see any of us as great, or outstanding?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"But we've been chosen to save the world. Doesn't it seem strange when you think about it? And is it any wonder that the rest of the world hates us, and thinks that we think we're God's gift to the world?"  
  
"What did you just say? I didn't understand a word."  
  
"Pay attention, Matt. Americans have a reputation for saving everyone's ass, right?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose so."  
  
"And this makes people think we're pompous assholes, right?"  
  
"What the hell's your point?"  
  
"So maybe, they're wrong. Maybe we do deserve that reputation. We HAVE saved the world, time after time after time. Maybe they should just back the hell off and let us do out thing. I mean, it's not like we're marching the whole of the American army in here. It's just us."  
  
"Kate, go to bed. Take Pedialite in the morning, and I'll see you. We both need just a little bit of sleep right now. Love you."  
  
"Ditto. Good night."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lauren Malfoy sat in one of the big, overstuffed leather armchairs in the Slytherin common room. She was staring into the fire when her cousin came in.  
  
"Hullo, Lauren."  
  
"Draco."  
  
Draco's eyes snapped around at his cousin's tone. He knew that she didn't like his parents, but they had always been on friendly terms. He had even hoped of telling her his plans, but, seeing as how she was treating him now, that might not be the brightest idea.  
  
"What is it, Lauren?"  
  
"You got her pregnant."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You fucked Ginny Weasley, with out using a goddamn contraceptive!"  
  
"We used charms."  
  
"Charms can be faulty! And you're lying to me. I was there when Ginny told Ron you guys didn't use anything!"  
  
"What the hell is it to you?! It's none of you're fucking business. And besides, to use your own words, we Malfoys have sex drives that can kill."  
  
"That's no excuse. What happens when her family comes swooping in here to kick your sorry ass? Eight of them, versus you and your father, 'cause Lord know your mother would do nothing to damage her fingernails."  
  
"Lauren, what's done is done. Just leave it be."  
  
"Fine, I'll leave it be, Draco. Just don't drag that poor girl down with you, when you finally make it to your own personal hell."  
  
And on that somber and angry note, Lauren left the common room for the dorm she shared with the other girls. Draco took his own place by the fire. As he stared into the flames, he thought, 'Women- only have two purposes. To shag and keep house.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Harry turned around and stopped to wait for Ron while he said goodbye to Shannon and ran to catch up.  
  
"Morning, Ron."  
  
"Same to you. Say, did you hear the news?"  
  
"What news?"  
  
"The Quidditch totals are in. It's going to be Gryffindor versus Gryffindor for the final game."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Like you didn't completely see that one coming, Ron."  
  
"You're right," Ron consented.  
  
"So, what does Shannon have to say?"  
  
Ron chuckled. "We actually have a bet on the outcome."  
  
"Watch what you say, Weasley, her brother has a funny habit of popping up around school at the most inopportune times."  
  
The boys spun around to face the speaker. Kate and Matt were behind them.  
  
"Hey you two." Harry looked past them, to see where they were coming from. It appeared to be a deserted corridor. "And just where were you guys?" He saw Matt turn to wipe lip gloss off his check.  
  
Ron switched to his sing-song voice. "Somebody's been snogging."  
  
Matt punched his shoulder. "Watch what you say," he said, gesturing to Kate. "She can get some wicked aim with her stiletto heels. In fact, I think I still have a scar."  
  
"Shaddup."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Good boy."  
  
Harry looked away, and asked, "Does anyone else feel sick?"  
  
Kate looked up. "I'll make you pay for that on the pitch, Potter."  
  
"I'd like to see you try, Morgan."  
  
"Potter, get your bum to class. We'll settle this on the pitch next weekend."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Following Saturday  
  
"Where the bloody hell are they?!" Ron shouted as he and Harry approached Madame Hooch in the middle of the pitch.  
  
"Ron, relax. Kate wouldn't miss the chance to play us."  
  
As he was saying this, he saw Kate, followed by the rest of her team come out of the locker rooms. But their uniforms were different. They had on skin tight red pants, with a "WH" on the left hip, black shirts made out of what appeared to be the same material, with their number on the right shoulder, and short black and red cape. Even their shoes were made to be aerodynamic, and we polished to a shine. Their shin and arm guards seemed to be made out of graphite, or some other blackish- grey material. They looked impressive; this was what being the best in your nation could get you.  
  
"Harry, Ron."  
  
"Kate," Harry replied. "Did you order new brooms?"  
  
"Oh, Lord no. we've had these since before summer vacation. The SyncMaster500, the American equivalent to your Firebolt 3000. Our sponsors bought them for us. You ready to go?"  
  
Harry nodded. He suddenly didn't feel so confident. He looked up, into the stands, looking for Hermione. She blew him a good luck kiss, and winked. He smiled back at her, and then glanced over to where Dean sat. He saw his dorm mate looking quite unhappy. Jon had moved next to Dean in the announcer's seat, nudging him to move over. Harry could hear them arguing; apparently, they forgot about the microphone.  
  
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? I announce the games in this school. You need to get back to your seat right now."  
  
"And you need to take that stick out of your ass. Move over, I see no reason why we can't do this together."  
  
Dean kept mutter stuff under his breath, but didn't protest further.  
  
Jon made himself comfortable at the mic. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome to the final game of the Quidditch season, the Americana War Hawks versus the Gryffindor Lions!!!"  
  
The crowd went wild. Half of the stands were waving black and red flags, and the other half was waving red and gold. Harry saw that Dean had brought out his old "Potter for President" banner, and the Americans and their supporters had painted banners of their seven players, and had charmed them to move. That would be a little disturbing, Harry thought. He would have to fly by 20 foot picture of Kate, Shannon, and the rest of the team. He would be distracted by the pictures flying around. They approached the center of the field, mounted their brooms, and began to play.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Quaffle goes to Morgan first, Morgan to Jordan, to Quinnlin, back to Morgan, intercepted by Seamus Finnegan! Finnegan to Creevey, to Flores, back to Creevey, shot on goal, Mitchell blocks, no points! Mitchell kicks the Quaffle to Quinnlin, and the War Hawks take a new run down the field. Quinnlin to Jordan, to Morgan, back to Quinnlin, shot on goal.its good! War Hawks draw first blood!"  
  
The red and black half of the stands erupted. The Americana Chasers did a victory lap around the field, and got right back in position to face the Gryffindor attack. Dean took his turn announcing this bit of the match.  
  
"And sixth year Colin Creevey receives the Quaffle, tearing down the field, passing it to Jenna Flores, en excellent fifth year find of Potter's. Flores tears up the pitch, passes to Finnegan, Finnegan back to Creevey, intercepted by Jordan..."  
  
"Move over, rookie. We've missed half the damn game already!" Jon pushed Dean out of the way. Dean's clear, concise voice was soon drown out by Jon's big booming one. "Morgan to Quinn, to Jordan, back to. stole by Jenna Flores!"  
  
The game continued in this vain for sometime. How either team managed to score was beyond Hermione. The score was Harry's team had managed to score 100 points, but Kate, Shannon, and Chris seemed to be too damn good. They scored goal after goal. it reminded Hermione of watching the Irish side play at the Quidditch World Cup before her fourth year. She snapped out of her thoughts just in time to hear Jon announce the score.  
  
"It's 240 to 100, War Hawks with the lead, Potter better come up with the Snitch soon, or his team will lose this Trans-Atlantic brawl between schools. Wait, Potter's gone into a dive; Maloney follows him into it. Jordan steals the Quaffle! He's speeding towards Weasley. Weasley looks like he's going to be sick.must've eaten a bit too much at breakfast. Potter and Maloney neck and neck at the Snitch, Jordan pulling back for the goal, he shoots, Potter reaches."  
  
And the ding signaling a goal sounded. just as the entire stadium had seen Harry grab the Snitch. Silence filled the air. The two teams had tied. That had never happened before. And since it had never happened, there were no tie breakers.  
  
"SHIT!!!" Kate's opinion was hear loud and clear. Harry just looked ready to kill. Hermione and Ron hadn't seen him as angry since he took and Voldemort the last time. Madame Hooch met them as they landed on the field.  
  
"Potter, Morgan, come here."  
  
"Yes, ma'am?"  
  
"As both of you should know, there are no tie breakers when it comes to Quidditch. There for, it is up to you two to decide. You can accept the tie; twin cups will be made for both teams to display in their home school's respective trophy rooms. Or, you can play a fifteen minute death match. First to score wins. I'll give you a minute to decide." She walked away, leaving Kate and Harry to their own devices.  
  
"So, what'll it be, Potter?"  
  
"Well, we'd both win with the second option."  
  
"But it would be so much fun to play another fifteen minutes," Kate pouted.  
  
"Don't bullshit me, Morgan. Take the draw. We both win, no questions asked."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Very well then." Harry turned and called Madame Hooch over. "We've come to a decision. We'll take the draw."  
  
Madame Hooch nodded, and motioned the rest of the players off their broomsticks. Chris and Shannon landed first.  
  
"Kate, what's the deal?"  
  
"We're taking the draw."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"We're taking the draw," she said, smiling as Madame Hooch handed her and Harry the cup. She pointed to the Daily Prophet reporter there to take the pictures of the match. "Smile!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	15. A Few Morings After the Fact

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Kaitlyn Ashlinn Morgan!!!"  
  
Kate jumped out of bed. Even though it was three days after the final match of the season, she was still kind out of it.  
  
"Wha.?"  
  
There was a face floating in the air above her bed. It was her mother's face. She was in bed with. oh shit. She grimaced.  
  
"Morning, mom."  
  
"Kaitlyn, explain yourself."  
  
"I feel asleep three days ago after the final Quidditch match of the season. You just woke me up."  
  
"Why is Shannon's brother in your bed? Why is he even in your room?"  
  
"He feel asleep too. look, mom, why did you AirZap me, at," she looked at her bedside clock," six in the morning? It's only, what, midnight in Chicago, isn't it?"  
  
"Yea, but I wanted to talk to you. I miss you!"  
  
"I miss you too, Mom." Kate sighed under her breath. She loved her mother, but, like almost every teenage girl, her mother could do nothing but annoy her at times.  
  
"So, how was your little game?"  
  
"Match, mom, just like volleyball. It's a Quidditch match. And it was fine. We tied."  
  
"You tied?" Her mom turned, shouting for someone. "Jack! JACK! Wake up!"  
  
"Ma! Don't wake Daddy up!"  
  
She turned back to her daughter. "Why is it that you call me 'Ma', but you still call him 'Daddy'?" She turned around again. "Jackie, can you tie in Quidditch?"  
  
"Maria, you woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me a sport's question? What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
"Jack, answer the question."  
  
"Anything's possible. I guess so, why?"  
  
"Kate did. She tied with. Who did you tie with, Kate?"  
  
"With Gryffindor." Her mom stared back at her with a blank expression. "Harry Potter's team, mom."  
  
"That's wonderful!"  
  
"Thanks, mom, but I really do need my sleep."  
  
"Of course, dear. I'll leave you alone now. 'Night. And get that boy out of your room. Oh, and some woman named Victoria called for you. Adios, mi hija."  
  
"Adios, mamá."  
  
The AirZap bubble disappeared. Kate flung herself back onto the mattress next to Matt. So Victoria had called. But why bother her parents? Why not AirZap her herself? It could only mean one thing. Voldemort was close. Time to talk to Harry; see what he could tell her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry woke up, feeling light, lighter than he ever had before. He shifted, feeling a warm body next to him. He smiled. It was his Hermione. He leaned over her body, and kissed her neck. Her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Good morning, Harry."  
  
"C'mere you. " Harry grabbed her hips and pulled her to him for a kiss.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
He sighed, and muttered under his breath. "Shit," then he called out. "Yes?"  
  
"Harry, it's Kate. Can I come in?"  
  
He rolled his eyes and Hermione. "Kate, do you make a habit of dropping in one everyone?"  
  
"Of course. Now, may I come in?"  
  
"Not right away, I'm not exactly clothed."  
  
"I'll send Matt in."  
  
". and neither is Hermione."  
  
Harry and Hermione nearly burst out in a fit of giggles when they could practically hear the blush in Kate's voice. "Oh.Oh, God. Harry, Hermione, I'm sorry, I'll see you down at breakfast. God I'm sorry."  
  
While this was transpiring, Hermione had gotten up and had fetched Harry's robe off of a nearby chair. She went to the door, opening it rather abruptly, and clearly taking Kate by surprise.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sorry that I.."  
  
"You know, Kate, had I not known any better, I'd say that you're a bit flustered right now." She said this with a simple, sweet smile.  
  
Kate seemed to recover, although only slightly. Hermione looked over the redhead's shoulder and saw Matt laughing hysterically. "Funny, Hermione. We'll see you whenever we see you. And Hermione, if you plan on keeping him in bed for long stretches at a time, make sure he has plenty of fluids. Wouldn't want him. tiring in the middle of anything now would we?" She gave them both a wicked little wink. "But forget that, when you two feel like leaving your room, we need to talk, a'ight?"  
  
Hermione nodded, said her goodbye, and closed the door. She turned to the bed. "Now, Mr. Potter, where were we?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I can't believe you nearly walked in on him and Hermione, Kate! My God!"  
  
"Shut up, Shannon. I didn't think that they'd be shagging like crazy when I knocked."  
  
"Now who's acting British? Shagging? What happened to our, dear, crass American actress?"  
  
"Shannon Lydia Quinnlin, I will and can kill you over breakfast. or I can let you give Ron a goodbye kiss, if you prefer. I can wait."  
  
Ron looked perplexed. "Your middle name's Lydia?"  
  
"Yeah, you gotta problem with it?"  
  
"No. I don't know. just forget it."  
  
Shannon caught sight of Kate laughing. And they weren't little lady like laughs either. they were big belly laughs. "What are you laughing at? What's so damn funny, Kaitlyn Ashlinn Morgan?"  
  
It was Matt's turn to laugh. "That's it, Matt, keep laughing if you wanna find yo' ass out side of the common room tonight. As for you, Quinn, my dear, don't blame me if my parents were drunk off their asses when they named me."  
  
"Figures, considering they're Irish."  
  
Seamus looked up. "What've you got against a decent Irishman???"  
  
"He's got a point, Quinn. What have you got against us?" Kate gave her a devilish smile.  
  
"Two against one, no fair!"  
  
Just then, Benny came over. Shannon knew she was in for it now. Benny was one of the biggest." Shannon, you know that the Irish stick together more than any other group of people. How the hell do you think Democrats have lasted so long in Chicago?"  
  
"Good point." Shannon went back to her breakfast. Ron looked perplexed.  
  
"Um, Shannon, I don't get it."  
  
"You'll understand when you get to Americana."  
  
"Oh. hey you two. I hear you guys had an interesting run in with Kate this morning." He looked at Kate as he said it.  
  
"Ron, you're an idiot."  
  
Harry looked at his best friend. "It's good to know that your girlfriend has such a high opinion of you."  
  
Hermione sat at the table, right next to Kate. They looked at each other, and burst into giggles. This was going to be one interesting brunch.  
  
"I see you took my advice, Hermione. Harry looks well hydrated."  
  
"I hate to admit it, but it was rather good advice. but I think he needs to eat more pineapple. "  
  
Kate spit out her pumpkin juice, hitting Ron square in the face. Kate, Shannon and Hermione burst out laughing. Kate wiped her eyes. "Yeah, just make sure he lays off the asparagus!"  
  
Matt leaned past his girlfriend, giving the other boys quizzical looks. "Do either of you know what the hell they're talking about?"  
  
"No mate, sorry," was Harry's reply. Ron was too busy trying to wipe the pumpkin juice out of his eyes to answer. But he did manage to tell Kate off.  
  
"Nice job, Kate. Who the bloody hell taught you to drink? I'd have thought they'd teach you to swallow at the very least!"  
  
Kate's eyes went steel gray. All of the Americans knew this was a bad sign. Benny, naturally, decided to comment.  
  
"Weasley, you damn well better pray to God that she's not wearing heels. She gets some good aim and distance with those babies."  
  
Kate ignored him. She just went straight for Ron, giving him a sickly sweet smile. "Hmm. I'll have to work on that. But, Ronnie, who taught you to eat? My littlest cousins mange to get less on their bibs in a week then what you have on your sweater right now." She winked at him to show she was kidding, defusing what would have been a situation way to hard to bring her current topic into. She took another sip of her pumpkin juice, set it on the table, and licked her lips. She could feel Matt grab hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She took a tighter hold on his hand, leaning back in her chair.  
  
"My mother sent me an AirZap around six this morning. She said that Victoria had called the house, looking for me." She eyed every one of them. "You know what this means, don't you?"  
  
Benny nodded. "The shit's gonna go down, and soon. But why did she call at the house? She knows that you're in England."  
  
"I know, Ben, I've been wondering that myself. It would have saved me half of my embarrassment this morning if she had." She smiled at Matt, her smile widening as he blushed. She had told him how her mother had found them. "The best I can come up with is that Victoria is afraid that they'll track us. Which is why I needed to talk to Harry." She turned and faced him. "Harry, and I'm asking Hermione and Ron, too, so feel free to jump in at any point, what happened the last time you dealt with Vold- " Ron cleared his throat. "Sorry, what happened the last time the three of you dealt with You-Know-Who?"  
  
The Trio glanced at each other, and then looked down. Last time had been nearly as bad as when Cedric was murdered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sixth Year Middle of the Forbidden Forest  
  
Harry looked up; Voldemort stood over Ron. The boy was knocked out. He tried crying out in desperation.  
  
"Ron!!! Ron, wake up! Ron, you've got to get up!"  
  
Voldemort's slit red eyes seemed to look into Harry's very soul when he met his gaze.  
  
"Potter, keep silent, and you may prove to measure up to your father. But feel free to keep screaming if you chose. It may help me have the will power to torture your friend instead of just killing him."  
  
Harry struggled with the man holding him while he watched Voldemort pull two items out of his robes- his wand, and. a knife. He stilled instantly. Oh shit. That wasn't good.  
  
How typical was this? He, Hermione, and Ron had been snooping again. Hermione had found what she thought was a suspicious picture in his photo album of his parents. She had been right, of course, and it had lead them to Riley "Killer" McKinney. It seemed that good ol' Killer had been the one responsible for getting Wormtail to convince Sirius to give up being the Potter's secret keeper. As Riley pushed his knees further into Harry's back, Harry ceased to wonder why the called him Killer.  
  
The man wore all black, and on the inside of that black leather jacket of his were places for his knives. Harry was filled with a hatred for the man, for he now knew that Killer had been the one to land Hermione in the Hospital Wing. But at least she wouldn't end up dead, which was the apparent direction of Harry and Ron's futures. What surprised Harry the most was that he wasn't thinking about himself. He was relieved that Hermione was safe, although regretful that he hadn't told her.  
  
"Potter, on your feet!"  
  
He stood, and was suddenly bold. He didn't have his wand, but he somehow knew that Voldemort had no power; he was simply too weak. It Voldemort did feel well enough to kill Ron, he would have by now. He showed no mercy to Cedric; why would it be different for Ron?  
  
"Potter, do you have any idea as to why I've kidnapped you?"  
  
"No. Explain it to me."  
  
"Potter, have you been to America?"  
  
"No, never. Get to the point already, damn it. If I'm going to die I'd rather make it in time for tea in heaven instead of being late, if you don't mind."  
  
"I grow weary of your insolence. Kneel, and silence, boy!"  
  
Killer felt that this command was best enforced by kneeing Harry in the back. Harry hit his knees and almost laughed at it all.  
  
"First you tell me to stand, then you want me on my knees. I'm beginning to think that you really have no plan."  
  
He received a sharp slap in the mouth for that remark. He could taste the iron of his own blood in his mouth. At least he was now sure that he was alive. Harry snapped his head up. What was that? He had heard something in the woods. The easy confidence he had had moments before evaporated. Please, he thought, dear Lord, don't let it be any more of them. but why are you so worried, Potter? You have nothing to live for. no girlfriend, no parents, death would surly be better than life back on Privet Drive. but I DO have something to live for. I don't wanna die before I kiss Hermione. Before I tell her at the very least. Thank God she's safe in the Hospital Wing. Just then, Voldemort's voice snapped him out of his brief revere.  
  
"Potter, to pay for that, I think I'll just kill you friend here."  
  
Voldemort raised his wand, prepared to bring it down on Ron.  
  
"AV." He had barely gotten out the first syllable of the curse when a giant tabby cat came out of no where, and launched itself at Voldemort's face. McGonagall! There was no other tabby with those kinds of markings. And following behind her was a large, familiar black dog. Sirius had come to save him. He had "Killer" on the ground screaming, blood pouring from his throat; some killer he had turned out to be. Harry almost felt sorry for the man. He was young, twenty if he was a day, with blonde hair that held just a hint of red. He could have had a life full of promise, a family, kids, everything Harry wanted but knew he probably wouldn't get. He was stuck between loathing the man for wasting his life, and envying him for the possible normality. What a fucking paradox!  
  
He snuck over to Ron, keeping his eyes on what was going on with Voldemort and McGonagall. She had gone back to human when she knocked the wand and knife out of his hands, and now had her own wand trained on him. Harry grabbed the knife and went to work on Ron's bindings. When he was done with them, he gave Ron a few taps on the cheek to wake him. As soon as the red head's eyes opened, he motioned for silence. Then, the pair turned their attention to McGonagall and Voldemort. Both had lines of blood running from various wounds on their faces. Voldemort spat blood before he spoke.  
  
"You got away this time, Potter, with your teachers and friends to save you, but be forewarned, my heir is at the school. He will over take you, and one close to you, and even the Americans with their egos and weapons and little tricks will not save you! I'll see you back here next year, Potter, same place and time! I swear it, one of us will be dead by this time next year!"  
  
And with almost comical effects, Harry watched as a plume of bright, obnoxiously bright purple smoke rose, hiding Voldemort. When it cleared, all that could be seen were snakes slithering through the tall grass and away. Harry made to go after them; he'd killed every one of them if that what it took to find Voldemort, but McGonagall stopped him.  
  
"Back to the castle, Potter, the Headmaster can solve this problem."  
  
Harry looked at his Head of House, eyes filled with doubt, but he listened. Ron needed treatment, and he wanted to see how Hermione was doing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Return to Normal Time  
  
Kate stared at Harry. A year of training had prepared her and her friends for what they needed to do, but Harry, Ron and Hermione had just had it thrown at them. That was rough. And Kate now knew that she had underestimated them.  
  
She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Harry. Voldemort said same time and place, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Kate hated to be an ass like this, but she needed this information if any of them wanted to make it back home alive. "Do you remember what the date was, or the time, or place, or anything?"  
  
"Yeah, it was the day after final exams ended. June. 6th or 7th, something like that. It was late, around midnight. I could take you to the exact glen in the woods too, if you'd like."  
  
"Thank you, Harry. We can check it out some other time, though. A'ight, people, we have a date, time, and area. Let's arrange for some surveillance."  
  
Kate stood up and left the table. Harry looked at Benny.  
  
"What is it, Benny?"  
  
"That last part that Voldemort said. That sounds pretty foreboding, doesn't it?"  
  
Harry nodded, and Benny left to eat the rest of the food at the Slytherin table. Harry couldn't help thinking, yes, it does sound foreboding, Benny. Let's just hope you and the rest know what you're doing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	16. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry For Tommorow We...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
June 5  
  
Hermione was running down the hall. She was running late for her last final. And if she missed it, it would basically blow her entire school career. There was no point in going to Americana with a tarnished record, so it was understandable when she ran into Malfoy in the hall that she was really rather pissy.  
  
"Where are you going, Granger?"  
  
"To my last exam."  
  
"I assume you have a dress picked out for Grad Night."  
  
"Yes, I do," she turned abruptly and looked at Malfoy, who had been following her down the hall, badgering her with questions. "What the fuck do you want, Malfoy?"  
  
"I was wondering if you could talk to."  
  
She cut him off. "Never mind, I get it. You want me to talk to Ron and his family so when they show up with the rest of our parents tomorrow, they don't kick your ass, right? Well, forget it, Malfoy; I'd gladly help them in making you bloody."  
  
"So Saint Granger has stopped helping those in need?"  
  
Hermione scoffed. "You, Malfoy? In need of anything other than common sense? Sorry, but no."  
  
"Fine, you little mudblood bitch."  
  
Just then, Lauren rounded the corner they were approaching. Draco sighed and muttered under his breath.  
  
"Just fucking perfect."  
  
"Watch your mouth, Draco. You'll be in enough trouble when Ginny's family shows up tomorrow, won't you? I mean, she's already showing, isn't she?"  
  
"Lauren."  
  
"What, Draco?"  
  
"Listen to your better, Lauren. I know shit that would make your hair curl."  
  
Lauren rolled her eyes. "That's fucking typical. I guess in this society being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time. Go find a rock to crawl under. C'mon, Hermione, we're gonna be late for our Arithmacy exam if we put up with any more of his shit."  
  
When they were out of ear shot, Hermione whispered to Lauren, "He's you're cousin."  
  
"You're a quick one."  
  
"Why'd you snap at him then?"  
  
"Hermione, in case you forgot, he's gonna be the one who gives us the shaft if we don't get this done, and done right. We only know what's happening tonight, and tonight, family or not, Draco is the enemy. I love him, he's my cousin, but he fucked up when he agreed to go along with his father and Voldemort. That's that."  
  
Lauren sped up down the hall, leaving Hermione to think.  
  
'How bad does it have to be, when you turn your back on family?'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Kate!!!"  
  
"What?! What is it, Benny?"  
  
"There's no food in here!"  
  
Kate came peeling out of the bathroom she and the rest of the Gryffindor girls shared to see Benny, bent over and staring into the mini bar she had put in there with the use of magic. She wrapped her robe around her tighter, and got in Benny's face.  
  
"I just finished my goddamn finals, I want to take a bath and unwind, and YOU call me out of it because we don't have any goddamn food?!?!?! What the FUCK is wrong with you? Get your lazy ass down to the kitchens and ask the house elves. They'd be more than happy to get you something to eat."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but that would kind of defeat the point of having a mini bar in your room, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Fuck you, Benny."  
  
"Ooo, is that an offer?"  
  
"Put your dick away, Ben."  
  
"Awww."  
  
Kate flicked him off and headed back to her bath. She barely had time to register the warmth of her bath water when Benny called her again. This time, she hauled her soapy ass out of the tub, dried off, taking her time, and put her robe back on.  
  
"What is it now?"  
  
"I was researching some stuff. you know, for tomorrow night? Well, I just received an owl from the HQ with all of the information I asked for. We're supposed to be a fucking military organization. You'd think I'd have gotten this about three weeks ago."  
  
"There's a surprise, the postal service being slow. What you find, Benny?"  
  
"Well, you know that guy, "Killer" McKinney? Does that last name sound familiar to you?"  
  
"It does, kinda, why?"  
  
"Well guess where he went to school?"  
  
"Just tell me, Ben."  
  
"He was a fellow War Hawk. Not only that, but it seems Killer was also a graduate of the program."  
  
"Holy shit. Nice work, Benny, what else have you found?"  
  
"What makes you think I got better than that?"  
  
"Spill, Benny."  
  
"He was also involved with a certain boss of ours."  
  
Kate's eyes went round. "Victoria???"  
  
"The one and only."  
  
"Benny, I could kiss you right about now."  
  
"Baby, you know what I like. but it gets better."  
  
"You're shitting me."  
  
"Nope. Not only was McKinney involved in our program and our boss's panties, he was part of a secret sector that they developed and shut down before out time. It was called La Fuente de los Jovenes. Now, I'm an Italian student, but 10 to 1 I could tell you what that means."  
  
"The Fountain of the Young. like the fountain of youth???"  
  
"Sounds like it."  
  
Kate sighed, and sat back; she hadn't even realized that she had been leaning over Benny's shoulder. "Benny, what did they do in that section? And why did they shut it down?"  
  
"Well, it was very aptly named. They were trying to find a way to prolong magical people's lives further. But McKinney became a bit obsessed with the idea. He was on the fast track, heading up. He started as someone they experimented on, and then moved his way up to being a lab technician, how that happened boggles my mind, but it did. When the upper brass ruled the experiments too dangerous, McKinney used himself as a lab rat. Then he discovered the drawbacks. While it does give you an extended period of youth, it also makes a person more aggressive. And, if I'm right, with the amounts McKinney was taking, he was a walking time bomb for whoever pissed him off. And that was probably the reason Victoria dumped him. They probably had a fight and he wanted to gut her for it."  
  
Kate grabbed the picture of McKinney that Benny had dug up. He looked young, somewhere around early to mid-twenties. Then she grabbed the file that one of Americana's birds had flown over.  
  
"Benny, wait a minute. It says here that he was born on October 12, 1965. Last year was 2004. That means he was 39 when he died, but, Benny, he barely looks 22 in this picture. When was this taken?"  
  
Benny sighed. "This is where it gets really unbelievable. That's his passport picture; the one he had to take right before coming to England last year."  
  
Kate's eyebrows shot up. "What???"  
  
"He was 39 when he was murdered," Benny answered, then scrunched up his face in thought. "That would mean he was around 23 when he convinced whoever the Potter's Secret Keeper was to rat them out."  
  
"When did the project terminate?"  
  
"That same year."  
  
"So he's been planning this since, like, 1987??? Why the fuck are we only finding out about it now?"  
  
"Probably because he went to Voldemort's side and wasn't stupid enough to think that Victoria would protect him after it all went to hell. Or maybe all the conspiracy theorists are right, that there is a shadow government. All I know is that this dead man looks 20 when he was actually, for all intensive purposes, like 40. And, the fact that he was probably making the potion for Voldemort as well as help him. I mean, this guy went bad, in a serious way. No wonder Victoria dumped his ass." Benny gave a small laugh. Kate had to agree.  
  
"But think about it, Benny. How sad is it? He could have been so normal. I mean, this guy could have had the life we want, but will never have. I feel bad, but I'm pissed at him too."  
  
Benny shrugged. "I guess. Go take your bath. When you get out, we'll all iron out the plans for tomorrow night. Harry showed you where the glen was, right?"  
  
"Yeah, he did."  
  
"Good. Go on then, I'll see you later."  
  
Kate turned to go, and then looked back. "Benny, how hard do you think this will be?"  
  
"It's gonna be a bitch. But he's still just a man. And a man can be beaten. This stuff can't make you invincible, I mean, look at what happened to McKinney. He was taking this shit for years, and he died from what was essentially a dog bite. A few well placed curses and all eleven of us attacking him at once should do the old "Dark Lord" in. We'll be okay. We were before, and we will be now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
June 6 6:30 pm  
  
"C'mon, let's go! Dani, get out of the bathroom! We have half an hour before we're expected downstairs to greet people for dinner and cocktails, let's go!"  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming!"  
  
Nikola looked up. "Funny, that's what I heard through the bedroom wall last time Benny slept over. Now get your ass out here right now!" She started to pound on the bathroom door. Some one was PMSing.  
  
Kate nearly started to laugh. I mean, who wouldn't, watching one of their best friends slam on a bathroom door while dressed up in what looked like a light blue water nymph's outfit while screaming swears at the top of her lungs. Shannon soon realized that if no one stopped Nikola, she would soon break her hand.  
  
"Nikola, give it up. Dani, get out, now! Kate, stop laughing, or you'll wreak your make up."  
  
Just then Dani came out of the bathroom breathless. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."  
  
"It's about fucking time," Kate muttered, walking down the hall after Dani. They were dressed to contrast, as were Benny and Matt. Kate and Matt would be wearing white with black trim, while Benny and Dani were almost identical in black cocktail wear with white trim. Nikola was flying solo in her light blue nymph dress, Shannon in (what else) purple, although it was a pretty, pretty shade of lavender, if you wanted to be specific. Ron met her at the bottom of the stairs, looking dashing in his tux, with lavender cummerbund to match Shannon's dress. Just when Ron and Shannon exchanged corsages, Kate caught site of Matt, Jarrod, Benny, and Lauren coming up from the dungeons. She ran as fast as she could in heels and threw herself at her boyfriend, Dani not far behind. That set of greetings finished, they turned their eyes to Jarrod and Lauren, who were going to Grad Night together, though just as friends. Jarrod looked good in the standard tux, while Lauren had on an interesting number. It was a halter type of dress, black with a velvety feel, with some of the stomach exposed, but that was unremarkable to say the least. What was cool about it, was the fact that the pattern holding the two halves of the dress together was a spider web, complete with arachnid over her belly button. Ron seemed nervous about it.  
  
"Ron, the spider isn't real."  
  
"I know that, but still."  
  
Shannon rolled her eyes. "I can't take you anywhere, can I, Ron?"  
  
"We've been saying that for the past seven years."  
  
They all turned around at the sound of a new voice. It was Harry and Hermione coming down the Main Stairs. They had opted for traditional wizards robes, instead of prom wear. Both looked stunning, Harry in his deep maroon, and Hermione in a blue so light, it was almost white, with her hair pulled up so loose curls could hang down. Harry thought she was a vision; he was broadcasting that to the world from the dopey look on his face. He was hopelessly in love. It would have been cute, but the Americans realized how harder their job had just become. They knew how badly it would suck if any of them died, but they knew it was a risk. These three didn't seem to take any of that into account. They didn't seem to acknowledge that their risky actions would lead to death. And while it helped them to lead happy, and apparently happier lives, it would completely destroy them if one was killed. They had a lot to learn when they got to Americana.  
  
Kate cleared her throat, took Matt's arm, and they lead the way into the Grand Hall.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jimmy, "Copa Cabana," in Miami, Little Havana Ahi.. Latin Quarters, la Gran Manzana We're gonna party hasta por la mañana Ahi.. Santo Domingo - tomando Mama Guana Gozando en Colombia, Venezuela y la Bahamas Ahi.. Costa Rica, Peru y Tijuana Ven conmigo mami, porque esto nadie lo para Ahi.  
  
It was after dinner, after Harry and Hermione were introduced, Dumbledore said his piece, and the coffee and tea was served with the scones and other pastries. The students were dancing while the parents gossiped and reminisced about their own days at Hogwarts. The more conservative dancers danced nearer to the adults, the least conservative closer to Jon and his turntables. Three lucky guesses as to where the Americana students were dancing. The merengue had come on, and Kate and Dani had started clapping their hands and acting up. Hermione suspected that they hadn't been drinking 100% pumpkin juice, but they were entertaining to watch either way. They had danced in circle around each other, goofing off until Matt and Benny arrived on the scene. Then they were really flying, and it almost looked rehearsed. The two dancing couples whizzed by each other, missing by a hair's breadth.  
  
Draco was sulking in a corner, watching his cousin and the rest of the school dancing and having fun. Ginny had refused to go to Grad Night as his date, to prevent any adverse reaction her family might have. Not that it had helped. The twins had promised him a beating when they cornered him in the entrance hall, and Ron kept looking over Shannon's shoulder, giving him a death stare. Shit. It was time to get out of here. Draco snuck out of the Hall and headed upstairs. He would collect Ginny and his things, and they would be off before anyone was the wiser.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Le pido al cielo solo un deseo Que en tus ojos yo pueda vivir He recorrido ya el mundo entero Y una cosa te vengo a decir Fui de Bahrein hasta Beirut Fui desde el Norte hasta el polo sur Y no encontré ojos así Como los que tienes tú  
  
Rabboussamai fikarrajaii Fi ainaiha aralhayati Ati ilaika min hatha lkaaouni Arjouka labbi labbi nidai Viaje de Bahrein hasta Beirut Fui desde el Norte hasta el polo sur Y no encontré ojos así Como los que tienes tú  
  
Partners had switched. Kate danced with Chris upon his request, Matt had taken charge of Chris' date, and Benny and Dani could be found kissing in a corner. All was right with the world. The song was fast, something Latin, Shakira probably, and hips were all over the place. It was no wonder Matt kept a close eye on his girlfriend; he loved and trusted her, but she wasn't known for her monogamy, to say the least. She had a good heart and a good head, but she was flighty, her emotions were sometimes thrown to the clouds with a laugh and a smile, and her running off to try and follow them.  
  
And Matt didn't like how close their hips were getting. and joy, here comes the rest of them. It was time for the oh-so-famous-and-necessary, circle-up- and-dance-like-bitches-in-heat-until-we-screw-the-wrong-preson. but that was a past issue.  
  
Matt looked at the clock. It was half past 11 now. They weren't supposed to leave for another fifteen minutes, but he figured Kate would want to leave early. He politely excused himself from Jenny, Chris's date, grabbed Kate's arm, whispered to her, and they left. They didn't even hear the music change as they left.  
  
Regardless of warnings The future doesn't scare me at all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Harry, where are Kate and Matt?"  
  
"I dunno. You haven't seen them?"  
  
"Would I be asking if I had?" Hermione tapped her foot on the marble of the entrance hall. It was fifteen minutes 'till show time, and two of the leads were no where to be found. Just then, Shannon and Ron came running down the stairs. They had been sent up to Gryffindor Tower to see if they were there; Jarrod and Lauren had gone to check out the Ravenclaw dungeons.  
  
"Their wands and cloaks are gone; and we found this."  
  
Shannon pulled a small piece of stationary parchment out of her clutch. It was a note.  
  
Shannon, Ron, Benny, Dani, and the rest-  
  
If you're reading this, we're probably gone. I know, I know, how Hollywood can I get, right? Matt and I took off, chances are, only a few minutes ago. If we planned this right, we should take him out and be back for the graduation ceremony in the morning. If not. well, I'd rather not thin about "if not". I know that this is pointless to say, but don't come. Don't. That's a direct order from your superior. If you do follow us (and I'm figuring that you will) Harry knows where to go. I love you all. And if we don't make it back, send our diplomas and rings to our parents and tell them we love them. Victoria knows what to do after that. I love you all. Stay safe.  
  
AML Kate  
  
Hermione looked at Shannon. "I suppose you've read this already?" Shannon nodded. "Then explain it. What does she mean, "Victoria knows what to do after that?""  
  
"Victoria has all of our wills filled at HQ. She takes care of everything, final arrangements and such, when an agent dies."  
  
"So, your idiot friend and brother just went off on their own, and chances are that they'll be killed. That's just fucking brilliant of them, isn't it?"  
  
Shannon got pissed. "You little bitch! I swear to God, I'll rip."  
  
"Shannon, love, as angry as you are, maybe going and helping them would be the better idea. Unless you'd prefer them dead; then I'd say let's go back to drinking and dancing." Shannon shot him a look too. "Or maybe fetching our wands and going after them would be a better idea. You do remember where that glen is, don't you, Potter?"  
  
Harry cleared his throat. "Yes, yes, I remember where we're going."  
  
"Then we're off."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was eerily quite outside. There was a full moon out, leaving soft patches of its light on the floor of the Forbidden Forest. Nothing made a sound as Harry led the way to the glen. He stopped just short of it and turned back to the others.  
  
"We're here. Wands out."  
  
When they reached the very edge of the clearing, they could finally hear what was going on. But there were more than just the three voices they expected. Hermione could hear Kate's angry, too proud, refuse-to-be-moved voice emanating through the trees, punctuated by Matt's own angry retorts. Then there were the voices who sounded amused. And one of them sounded like.  
  
"Ginny!" Ron was the first to recognize his sister's voice. "That's Ginny, I know it. But I never saw her leave the castle. why is she in the woods?"  
  
Just then, they heard a familiar voice followed by a chilling and terrifying laugh. Harry swallowed heavily.  
  
"Three lucky guesses, Ron. Come on, let's get closer." They crept closer, until they were in the glen. If they stood up, they would be seen; but they could see everything from where they were. Kate and Matt stood opposite Draco and Ginny; they seemed to have caught them right before they left the country. Their bags were lying all over the glen; Ron realized why he hadn't seen or heard from his sister earlier. She had been packing. Harry hissed to be quite, and they listened.  
  
"Very good, Morgan. You figured it out."  
  
"Give me three reasons why I shouldn't kill you, Malfoy."  
  
"Because you wouldn't have anything to live for tomorrow?"  
  
"Malfoy, what the fuck are you doing? Do you really think that Voldemort will let you take over?"  
  
A cold breeze lifted the hem on Hermione's dress robes, raising the hairs on the back of her neck at the same time. She tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Harry, something's."  
  
"Children, children, please, stop fighting. Draco, you will receive my domain. as for you, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Quinnlin, I hope you've said your good byes."  
  
The tape screeched to a halt. Kate rolled her eyes. "Where the hell have you been for the past year? Writing all of the bad scripts I've turned down?! Jesus Christ! I wanna save the world from a homicidal maniac, not a crappy script writer."  
  
Benny rolled his eyes in turn and muttered. "Fucking typical. She always has to have the last word. Learn when to shut your mouth, Kate." He turned to Harry. "Potter, go around back. I'll give you ten minutes, then we move." Harry gave him a dirty look.  
  
"How much do you know about him, Benny? I've faced the bastard year after year."  
  
"Shut up. Look, Potter, I know you've met up with him more than we have. But you don't know shit when it comes to dealing with Kate, and whatever crazy plan she thinks she can pull off. Normally, it goes well, but when it doesn't, shit gets sour real fast. Now shut up, and do what I ask."  
  
Harry just went. He didn't like being told what to do by Benny, but he didn't want to attract Voldemort's attention either. He crept through the tall grass with Ron and Hermione close behind him, trying to get behind Voldemort. When he got there, he looked for Benny through the grass; Benny nodded, mouthing "One. Two. Three."  
  
On three he sprang, wand at the ready. No way in hell was Voldemort walking away this time. The five were startled to find themselves surrounded.  
  
"Fucking great. You guys really don't know how to read, do you?"  
  
"Kate, fuck off. You know you need us here. Quit your bitching and let's get this done."  
  
Kate and Matt steadied their wands; fight or flight time. Matt looked at Benny around Voldemort.  
  
"Benny, you do know what you're doing, right? I mean, I'm NOT going to end up in pieces all over the English country side, or sent back home in a box?"  
  
"Only if I have my way." Draco just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Voldemort shot him a look that would have withered a more intelligent man; Harry just figured that Draco was too stupid to know that running would have been a good idea. Voldemort spoke.  
  
"Draco, do be a good boy, and LEARN TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH! There is time for Potter and friends to kill you, and make no mistake, I will permit it. Now, who shall be the first to die?" He gazed around the circle, his eyes finally settling of Matt and Kate, standing directly in front of him. "I do believe I've found my victims. AVADA KEDAVRA!" But Voldemort's voice was not the only one to ring out through the glen; just before she lost consciousness, Kate picked out Benny's voice, along with Shannon's, and Ron's, and the rest of them. At least she knew she had won; Voldemort would be dead. She registered the green flash of light, and Matt collapsing beside her before the world went black.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry's eyes snapped open. Hermione was standing over him, telling him that they needed to catch their flight to Chicago; he could see Benny standing in the boarding line, pulling out his passport to show the flight attendant. It had been one week ago. One week ago, they had been in the glen, and Kate and Matt had disappeared. The only body that had been found was Voldemort's; Draco, Ginny, Kate, and Matt were no where to be found.  
  
Harry wiped a hand through his eyes and rose from his seat. After seven years, all it had taken was a few well put curses and attacking as a whole; it was almost laughable. But there was a new problem to confront. He and his friends had to find Kate and Matt. As long as the bodies were missing, the H.C. wouldn't give up on finding them alive; and Benny and Shannon giving up seemed out of the question. Harry sighed, and took one last look out of the terminal window at the United Airlines 987 that would be taking him to America; to new leadership and authority.  
  
Oh goody.  
  
Harry boarded the plane, stowed his luggage, and fastened his seatbelt. He gave Hermione a peck on the cheek, and prepared to fall asleep. With any luck, he'd awake to a new world.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The fic ends here. 


End file.
